BNP criticizes Chief Advisor's proposal on voter age

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday criticized Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus's proposal to lower the minimum voter age to 17, stating that it has sparked controversy and could potentially delay the election process, according to a report by UNB.

Speaking at a discussion organized by a faction of the Jatiya Gonotantrik Party (Jagpa) at the Jatiya Press Club, Fakhrul remarked, "Prof Yunus has suggested reducing the minimum voter age to 17. This would necessitate preparing a new voter list, causing delays."

He expressed concern that the Chief Adviser had raised an issue lacking consensus. “People are now more apprehensive about potential delays in preparing the voter list. While I don’t personally believe this government is intentionally trying to delay the election process, many citizens hold that impression,” he said.

Fakhrul argued that the Chief Adviser should have consulted stakeholders before making such a suggestion. "As the Chief Executive, your suggestion carries weight and effectively becomes binding on the Election Commission. This is not how such matters should be handled," he noted.

He emphasized that the current minimum voting age of 18 is widely accepted and any proposal to change it should come from the Election Commission through dialogue with political parties. "By proposing 17 years, the Chief Adviser has inadvertently placed undue pressure on the Commission," Fakhrul added.

The BNP leader further criticized the manner in which the suggestion was introduced, saying it would have been less contentious if it had been discussed with stakeholders beforehand. “Had he taken input from relevant parties first, this controversy could have been avoided.”

Professor Yunus had suggested on Friday that the minimum voting age should be reduced to 17 to better include young people in decisions about their future. His remarks were made in a video message played during a dialogue hosted by the Forum for Bangladesh Studies.