The BNP hosted leaders from Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam on Monday evening for a high-stakes meeting at their Gulshan office to strategize about the country’s political crisis, necessary reforms, and the looming national election.
Emerging from the talks, BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed spoke to the press, and fellow leader Nazrul Islam Khan hammered home the point: on the biggest political issues facing the country, the two parties are on the same page.
“We were united in movements and struggles for a long time,” he said. “We were able to bring down fascism, but democracy has not yet been re-established. It must be restored immediately through a fair election.”
Nazrul said reform work is progressing and that people now want elections. He added that all crimes committed under the previous government should face justice and that there is no reason to delay the vote.
“We hope the government will soon make a clear statement regarding the election,” he said. “Our discussions focused on how to make the election meaningful.”
Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam leader Maulana Manzurul Islam Afendi echoed these calls for national unity and a swift election.
“We pay tribute to the martyrs of the July uprising with respect,” he said. “We discussed the ongoing political situation, reform activities, and the upcoming election. National unity is essential, and nothing should be done that leads the election into uncertainty.”
Afendi also warned about the plan to open a UN human rights office in Bangladesh, insisting that the interim government must guarantee a fair shot for all parties.
On one thing, both sides agreed: if they want an election that people will actually trust, they have to work together and push through reforms quickly.
