BNP Confident About Winning National Election

The BNP remains optimistic about securing victory in the upcoming national election scheduled for February next year, said Standing Committee Member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain in an exclusive interview with the Daily Sun.

The senior BNP leader underscored the importance of a free, fair, and neutral election, stating, “People have been deprived of their voting rights for nearly a decade and a half. They now want to vote and choose their preferred candidates. Citizens want their representatives to speak for them in parliament, and they will not accept anything less.”

He added, “Holding the national election on time will foil all anti-Bangladesh and anti-democracy conspiracies, both at home and abroad. Moving towards elections will shift the nation’s focus to the polls, defeat such conspiracies, and guide the government toward peace, democracy, and equality.”

Referring to the government’s pledge to hold the polls in early February, Mosharraf said, “The government’s foremost duty is to ensure a truly free and fair election.”

Commenting on the Awami League (AL), he said it was unfortunate that the party had destroyed the electoral system to cling to power—one of the key factors behind the 2024 mass uprising that toppled the AL regime and forced them to flee.

Regarding the proportional representation (PR) system, he argued that voters would lose the ability to directly elect their representatives. “In such a system, people would not know who they voted for, and MPs would not be able to identify which areas they represent,” he noted.

He stressed the necessity of a level playing field: “Without equal opportunities for all parties, voters cannot freely choose their candidates. Such an election will be ineffective and fail to meet public expectations.”

Mosharraf also emphasized the need for justice over crimes committed by the ousted government and the killings during the July uprising. He further pointed to the importance of state reform, saying an elected parliament should resolve disputed issues after open public debate.

On the question of the Jatiya Party, he remarked, “It is the responsibility of the interim government to decide on this matter impartially. We have never raised any objection.”

The BNP leader warned against divisions among anti-fascist forces, cautioning that such rifts could allow the Awami League to exploit the situation. However, he expressed confidence in the interim government’s ability to hold a fair election.

He also accused political opponents of spreading misinformation to damage the BNP’s image. “We take action whenever we receive complaints against our party men, and we will continue to uphold this practice within the organization. Such propaganda will not endure, and conspirators will not succeed,” he said.