"Rapid elections are essential to restore the people's rights, says Zahid"

BNP Standing Committee Member A.Z.M Zahid Hossain emphasized the need for a prompt, free, fair, and impartial election to return power to the people, noting that the nation stands at a critical crossroads that calls for transparent elections.

Speaking as the chief guest at a discussion and prayer session on Thursday (October 24), organized by the Afser Ahmad Siddiqui Memorial Foundation at the National Press Club's Zahur Hossain Chowdhury Hall, Zahid commemorated the 23rd death anniversary of BNP’s former vice-chairman and ex-MP, the respected politician Advocate Afser Ahmad Siddiqui.

Zahid expressed that it is ultimately the people's decision, through elections, to determine who holds power and what reforms should be implemented. He explained that true reform means addressing entrenched partisanship and ensuring that duties are performed impartially, beyond political lines. “This is what the people desire right now. The interim government, therefore, has a duty to expedite the election process,” he added.

Zahid also commented that if the government works for the people, it will retain public support; if not, it may be forced to leave. Reflecting on past leadership, he remarked, “She [Sheikh Hasina] once said she wouldn’t leave the country, but she fled within 72 hours. Those who disrespected the people and attacked them—where are they now?”

Remembering Advocate Afser Ahmad Siddiqui’s legacy, Zahid praised him as an exceptional figure in political life, one who lived with integrity, adding, “Leaders of his caliber are irreplaceable.”

The event, chaired by Begum Jahanara Siddiqui, president of the Afser Ahmad Siddiqui Memorial Foundation, was also attended by BNP Health Affairs Secretary Rafiqul Islam, Assistant Secretary of Education Affairs Helen Jerin Khan, among others.