Since they have not yet been able to discuss the July Revolution Declaration as a party and with their partners, BNP is not giving any opinion on it right now.

The party believes that more time is needed for this. In such a context, BNP's standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed will meet with the interim government's chief adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus.

BNP standing committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku said that on our behalf, standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed will meet with the chief adviser today. When contacted with the leaders of BNP's partner parties, they also expressed insufficiency of time to give their opinion on the declaration.

Earlier, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that he received a draft of the declaration from Mahfuz Alam, an adviser to the interim government, and he requested us to give our opinion on it. But it is not possible for them to give their opinion on it in one day's notice.

Mirza Fakhrul said that the matter is so sensitive and important that it is not possible to do it in one day's notice. We have discussed this issue, we are discussing it further. We have other parties too; we have to discuss with them. Not only that, we have to talk to those who are constitutional experts because, this declaration also contains a lot about the constitution, which we have to see.

Yesterday, Wednesday night, the press wing of the chief adviser informed that the interim government led by chief adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus will organize an all-party meeting on the July declaration at the Foreign Service Academy between 4 pm and 7 pm on Thursday.

Apart from this, Adviser Mahfuz Alam informed about the all-party meeting at a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy on Tuesday evening. Mahfuz Alam said, a document will be prepared based on consensus through this meeting. It will be clear on that day when we will issue the declaration and how the government will play a role in issuing the declaration.

Jatiyo Nagarik Committee convener Nasir Uddin Patwari has said that those who want early elections have attacked the aggrieved tribal students.

He said this at a protest rally at Shaheed Minar on Wednesday (January 15) to protest the attack on the aggrieved tribal students.

At the same time, he said, “Those who want early elections in line with the Indian Army Chief are behind this attack. Stop the politics of corpses. No more politics of corpses will continue in Bangladesh.”

And Hasnat Abdullah, convener of the anti-discrimination student movement, said, “The 1972 constitution did not recognize every section in the country and sought to unite everyone as Bengalis. This has taken away the rights of the remaining ethnic groups. Today’s attack was also called Bengali. However, on August 5, the students permanently rejected this slogan.”

The National Citizens' Committee and the Student Movement against Discrimination have condemned and protested the attack by 'Students for Sovereignty' on a peaceful program of agitating indigenous students.

BNP Chairperson's adviser and former MP Harunur Rashid said that BNP is committed to fulfilling the aspirations of the people if it becomes the elected government.

He said these things at a youth rally demanding the immediate announcement of the road map for the national elections organized by the Trinamool Nagarik Andolon in front of the National Press Club on Tuesday (January 14).

Harunur Rashid said that many people say that BNP will not be able to come to power if there is an election. If BNP does not come to power, then who will? BNP has been fighting to establish democracy in Bangladesh for the last 40 years. Whenever the people of this country got the opportunity, they voted for the BNP to come to power. If the people of the country get the opportunity to vote again, they will bring the BNP to power.

He said that the only demand of the July-August movement was the fall of Sheikh Hasina. Sheikh Hasina has fallen. The interim government is running the country. We are supporting them in various ways. But now we can see that various conspiracies are spreading their wings. No specific date is being given by the advisors regarding the national elections.

He also said, we want to establish democracy in the country. We want to take the country forward. The nation must remain united against all conspiracies against the country. Those who killed the student population, those who looted from Bangladesh, are being tried. The government that comes in the future will also try them. Therefore, there is no opportunity to delay the elections with this trial process.

Under the chairmanship of Trinamool Nagorik Andolan President Mofizur Rahman Liton and under the direction of Krishak Dal's Small and Cottage Industries Affairs Secretary Abdullah Al Naeem, BNP's Children's Affairs Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Siddiqui was present as a special guest. BNP National Executive Committee Member Abu Naser Md. Rahmatullah, Krishak Dal's Vice President Alhaj VP Ibrahim, Tanti Dal's Dr. Kazi Moniruzzaman Monir, Ismail Hossain Siraji of the Motsyijibi Party, Firoz Alam Patwary of Paltan Thana BNP, among others. 

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that elections are possible by mid-year. At the same time, he called on the government, Election Commission and political parties to hold elections.

He said these things at a press conference called at the BNP Chairperson's office in Gulshan on Tuesday (January 14) to inform about the decision of the standing committee a day earlier.

Also present at the event was the party's standing committee member Abdul Moin Khan.

The BNP Secretary General said that elections are possible by mid-year. This is why I am calling on the Election Commission, the government and political parties to hold elections by mid-year.

Noting that the draft of the Cyber Security Ordinance has been discussed, Mirza Fakhrul will hold another press conference in the next two days to discuss it in detail. For this, a committee has been formed under the leadership of Standing Committee member Dr. Moin Khan.

The BNP Secretary General said that the statement of the Chief Adviser on the election issue was discussed for a long time. We think there is no reason to delay it so much. The Election Commission has already been formed, stability is coming to the country and the report of the reform committee will be out by this month. Democracy is the most important thing in a country.

In response to a question about local elections before the national elections, the BNP Secretary General said, our position is clear on this matter. We have again announced this decision. We are saying that there is no question of local elections before the national elections because, now the focus of the entire nation, the entire country is on the elections of the national government. The last three elections could not be held. People want to pave the way for the transition to democracy through elections.

He said, sometimes I myself am surprised, where does the idea of holding elections other than the national elections come from at such a critical moment? Where does the idea of postponing the elections come from? If you want to put the country on a railway track.... There is an ongoing process of reforms. We were the first to draw the outline of reforms.

In response to a question about the 24 declarations, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, we have received a draft of a July declaration from Adviser Mahfuz Alam. He requested us to give our opinion on this matter. It is not possible to do such a sensitive and important matter on a one-day notice. We have discussed this matter, are discussing it further, we have to discuss it with other parties that we have. Not only that, we have to discuss it with the constitutional experts who are there.

Asked whether the BNP like-minded political parties in the country also agree with BNP, he said, the like-minded parties that have been agitating, the right party, the left party, all agree with us that everyone agrees that elections need to be held quickly. There is no disagreement between us on this matter. The Communist Party has already given a statement. I do not see that there is much difference with Jamaat-e-Islami either. It has said a few days ago that elections need to be held quickly, that a national government needs to be elected first.