Bangladesh Nationalist Party and allies, the 12-party alliance and Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam, on Friday reached consensus, calling for holding national elections by 2025 after completing minimum necessary reforms.
The consensus came at two separate meetings held at the BNP chairperson鈥檚 office in Gulshan with the party鈥檚 secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan being present.
The meetings also discussed the country鈥檚 present socio-political climate, state of law and order and continued price hike of essentials, the leaders said after the meetings.
鈥榃e are holding series of meetings with political parties that participated in the simultaneous movement with the BNP to restore democracy. We have agreed that elections can be held soon after completing minimal reforms,鈥� BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan told reporters following the meetings.聽聽
He said that at the meetings they also discussed the future plans to restore the democratic rights of people.
鈥榃e have been part of the movement for a long time, and we want to continue working together to fulfil the people鈥檚 democratic aspirations. And not every simultaneous movement will be against the government,鈥� Nazrul Islam said.
He also said that the immediate past fascist regime had been ousted from the country, but democracy had yet to be restored.
鈥業n today鈥檚 meetings, we agreed that fair, impartial and participatory elections must be held after completing the minimal necessary reforms to restore democracy. We do not think that too much time would be required to hold the elections,鈥� the BNP leader said.
Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam secretary general Monjurul Islam Afendi said that they agreed with the BNP on holding national elections by 2025 after completing the necessary reforms within a logical timeframe.
鈥榃e hope the government will hold early elections by making whatever reforms are essential to ensure equal opportunities for all parties,鈥� he said.
Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam leader also said that the meeting also agreed on that if they got elected in the polls no laws against Islamic Sharia would be enacted.
He further said that the meeting reached consensus on forging political unity to prevent the rise of any fascist forces in the future.聽