Staff Reporter:
BNP yesterday reiterates its demand of immediate announcement of a specific roadmap for holding the national parliamentary election by December this year.
“Otherwise, it will be difficult for BNP to continue cooperating with this government,” BNP Standing Committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said while reading out a written statement at an emergency press conference at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office yesterday afternoon.
He said the statement of the council of advisers issued following the meeting of Chief Adviser with po-litical parties is “ambiguous”, which created confusion among various quarters.
“BNP is disappointed that there is no clear roadmap for the national elections in the statement,” Moshar-raf said.
He said BNP and other political parties never demanded the chief adviser’s resignation and they still do not want it.
“But we have been demanding a roadmap for a fair, impartial national election should be held in De-cember under the leadership of the interim government,” said the senior BNP leader.
“Since reform is an ongoing process, both the reform and the election process can go on simultaneously. At the same time, the trial process of the fallen fascist forces and individuals and the party and those accused of crimes against humanity, will continue,” he said.
Mosharraf said the statement mentioned that the government is facing problems in fulfilling its responsi-bilities due to influence of “defeated forces and as part of a foreign conspiracy”.
“We believe that it is possible to stop the influence of defeated forces and foreign conspiracy only through a fair, impartial national election as soon as possible. Therefore, there is no alternative to giving a specific roadmap for the election immediately,” he said.
Mosharraf hoped the government will take measures for Ishraque Hossain’s oath as the mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation without delay.
BNP standing committee members Mirza Abbas, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ah-med, Selina Rahman, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud and Major (retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed were also present at the press conference.
