The BNP aims to hold national elections by mid-2025

The BNP believes that conducting local government elections before the parliamentary polls would serve as a delaying tactic. “The government should abandon plans for local government elections and instead focus on holding a national election by mid-year, in line with public aspirations,” stated a standing committee member, speaking anonymously. 

This issue was deliberated during a meeting of the BNP standing committee, the party's highest policymaking body, held at the chairperson's Gulshan office last night. The party's acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, joined the discussion virtually from London.

According to meeting sources, party leaders advocated for pressuring the interim government through seminars and discussions to ensure the general election takes place by mid-year. “We have supported the government and will continue to do so, but this does not mean the government can remain in office indefinitely,” said another standing committee member.

The interim government has suggested that the national election might be held later this year or early next year, depending on consensus regarding reforms. However, the government has indicated that if political parties do not demand substantial reforms, elections could be scheduled sooner. 

The BNP, on the other hand, maintains that while reforms are important and should continue, elections should only occur after implementing key changes. 

The meeting also reviewed the implications of holding local government elections. Senior leaders argued that this process would significantly delay the general election, as local polls held in phases would take over a year and a half to complete. “The interim government is responsible for holding the national election, not local government polls,” said a committee member.

Additionally, the meeting discussed the government’s recent decision to raise VAT and supplementary duties on more than 100 goods and services midway through the fiscal year. BNP leaders expressed frustration, criticizing the move as detrimental to public welfare. They argued that no elected government would impose measures that increase public suffering. 

Criticism was particularly directed at tax hikes on essential goods and services. Abdul Moyeen Khan, a BNP standing committee member, questioned the role of the IMF, alleging its support for the Awami League regime by approving a $4.7 billion loan, which he claimed helped sustain an “illegitimate government.” He further accused the IMF of encouraging economic measures that could destabilize the interim government and worsen the country’s situation.

Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced a press conference at the BNP chairperson's political office in Gulshan today to discuss the meeting’s outcomes.

The meeting also reviewed BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s treatment and health condition. Party leaders expressed gratitude for her gradual recovery, noting that she is in good spirits and spending quality time with her family while undergoing treatment at the London Clinic, where she was admitted on January 8.