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Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday said that the interim government chief adviser professor Muhammad Yunus assured them that preparations were underway to hold national elections in December this year.

Following a meeting with the chief adviser held at the State Guest House Jamuna in the capital, the BNP leader said that there was a possibility from the government to make declarations about next elections on February 15.

A three-member delegation of the party led by Mirza Fakhrul, accompanied with standing committee members Salahuddin Ahmed and Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, entered Jamuna at about 6:00pm.

During the meeting, the BNP expressed their concern over the recent attacks, vandalism and arson in many establishments across the country.

Fakhrul said that some recent incidents had jeopardised law and order as well as stability, providing an opportunity for fascist forces to raise voice.

He alleged that all these incidents occurred in front of law enforcers, and the government could not evade responsibility.

Fakhrul said that they had presented a letter to the chief adviser containing some recommendations for improving the current situation.

In the letter, the party criticised the interim government for its failure to take effective measures to bring the fugitive dictator and her accomplices to justice.

It said the government’s failure encouraged many to commit unlawful activities and take the law into their own hands.

‘When such things occur under a government’s watch, its image may suffer both domestically and internationally,’ it said.

The BNP recommended establishment of a political government through prompt elections for improving the situation upholding people’s aspirations, ensuring democratic rights and restoring stability.

Regarding the BNP’s demand for holding early elections, chief adviser’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam said that the National Consensus Commission would meet all the political parties on February 15 to discuss the reform proposals submitted by the different commissions.

He said that the timing of the elections would depend on the demands of the political parties.

‘If all parties agree on holding elections in December, the chief adviser is open to this suggestion and is not fixed on any particular date,’ Shafiqul said at a briefing at Foreign Service Academy in the city on Monday evening.

BNP also mentioned in its letter that the public suspected that some interim government advisers were involved in forming political parties while in power and signs of their using the administrative machinery were becoming visible.

‘However, we would welcome the emergence of any party through a proper democratic process that aligns with the people’s expectations,’ the letter added.

‘Our call to the interim government is to regain control over law and order situation, prevent abnormal price hike, provide a clear electoral road map, and remove accomplices of the fascists from all levels of the administration,’ the letter said.

‘The existing anti-fascist national unity is the primary driving force of the country and its people, and this unity must be upheld to move the nation forward. The interim government must maintain maximum neutrality, remaining vigilant to prevent any group from using political agendas to influence the government’s actions,’ the letter further states.

The party also claimed that there was an attempt in the country to create widespread public suffering through mob culture by continuously raising various demands, causing tension and chaos on the roads and provoking public frustration.

‘The government has failed to take appropriate steps to address the situation. As a result, social anarchy is emerging and people’s aspirations from the mass uprising are beginning to fade,’ it said.

The BNP also demanded an immediate announcement to withdraw all false and fabricated cases filed by the fallen dictatorial government against political leaders, activists, students and the public who had been involved in the long-standing struggle against fascism.

The chief adviser’s press secretary informed reporters that law adviser Asif Nazrul told the BNP that swift efforts were underway for the withdrawal of the baseless cases against political leaders and activists.

In response to the BNP’s concerns about law and order situation, Shafiqul said that no incidents had occurred in the past two days due to the government’s appropriate measures.