BNP-led Alliance Plans August Showdown Over Election Roadmap

BNP-Led Alliance Gears Up for August Push on Election Roadmap

Bangladesh’s political arena is poised for a major shift in August, as most opposition parties — led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) — prepare to launch street demonstrations if the interim government fails to present a clear roadmap for the upcoming general election.

While the opposition is willing to participate in polls under the current interim setup, they are demanding the reconstitution of the Advisory Council by removing controversial advisers to ensure neutrality.

The parties remain hopeful that Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus will outline a definitive path to elections, expected to be held by December, during his national address on 5 August, marking one year since the fall of the Awami League government.

“We’ve communicated our timeline to the government for holding elections by December. Now it’s their move. If they fail to act, the people will take to the streets to assert their right to vote,” BNP Standing Committee Member Selima Rahman told the Daily Sun. She expressed optimism that such a confrontation can be avoided if the government meets the people's demand.

At a massive rally in Dhaka on 28 May, acting BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman issued a firm ultimatum to the interim government, insisting that national polls must be held by December. He also urged party activists to start preparing for the election.

The BNP, along with allies like Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP), reiterated their position during talks with Prof Yunus on 2 June and the National Consensus Commission on 3 June.

“Of the nearly 30 parties that participated, all but one demanded elections by December,” said Shahadat Hossain Selim, Chairman of the Bangladesh Liberal Democratic Party.

Saiful Huq, General Secretary of the Revolutionary Workers Party, warned that failure to meet this demand could throw the country into political uncertainty. “The people and the parties have spoken. If the government ignores this, it will lead to instability.”

BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed emphasized that an elected government is the only way to counter domestic and foreign conspiracies. “There’s no justification for delaying elections beyond December,” he added, referring to points raised during the June 2 dialogue with the Chief Adviser.

Tensions between the interim government and political parties have grown, particularly after Prof Yunus suggested during a Japan trip that only the BNP was pushing for a December election. His comments and alleged bias — especially toward the NCP — have sparked concern across the political spectrum.

During the first round of dialogue on 24–25 May, 20 political parties, including the BNP and Jamaat, demanded an immediate roadmap for elections and governance reforms. Most called for the dismissal of controversial advisers — notably Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, Mahfuj Alam, and Khalilur Rahman — to preserve neutrality.

While the BNP insists on a December election, Jamaat has suggested February, and the NCP is open to a timeline extending into mid-2026, as permitted under the interim arrangement.

Several party leaders, speaking anonymously, accused Prof Yunus of playing a “dubious role,” with the BNP alleging he lost credibility by encouraging students to form the NCP. “His actions, along with those of three advisers, have compromised the interim government’s neutrality,” said BNP Vice Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu.

Gono Odhikar Parishad President Nurul Haque Nur echoed these concerns, stating that state backing of the NCP raises serious doubts. He, too, demanded the removal of the disputed advisers.

According to insiders, the BNP and its allies are preparing to escalate their movement if no roadmap is announced by early August. Soft protest programmes will begin in July to mobilize public support, with more intense agitation planned for September if the Election Commission fails to act.

At a BNP Standing Committee meeting chaired by Tarique Rahman, the party resolved to organise a national seminar or all-party convention after Eid-ul-Azha to build consensus for a December election and sustain pressure on the government.

The BNP also plans to closely monitor the interim government's actions and the movement of civil servants. At the meeting, party leaders acknowledged they have yet to receive a clear response from the government and emphasized the need to keep pressing for clarity — without seeking direct confrontation.