BNP's Mosharraf urges govt to announce election roadmap

BNP's senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain has urged the interim government to quickly present an election roadmap, saying that it would not be wise for the current administration to remain in power indefinitely under the "guise of state reforms."

"The interim government's commitment was to establish an anti-discriminatory state, but it is not wise to stay in power indefinitely in the name of reforms," he told a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club in the capital yesterday.

The National People's Party (NPP) organised the event titled "There is no alternative to elections to protect independence, sovereignty and establish sustainable democracy."

Mosharraf, a member of the BNP standing committee, said the interim government should prioritise reforming the election system and process. "People have expectations from the interim government, and it also has a commitment to carry out state reforms." 

These reforms need to be done quickly, he said. "No single government can fix a date and implement all reforms simultaneously. The process should begin now, and the next elected government will continue it," the BNP leader said.

Mosharraf said the people of Bangladesh are eagerly waiting to exercise their right to vote, having been denied this opportunity for the past 17 years.

He criticised certain vested groups for stirring unrest over trivial issues as part of a plot against the current government.

The BNP leader warned that conspiracies and instability would increase if the government continued to cling to power in the name of reforms.

"People must be oriented towards elections through a clear electoral roadmap. Only then can all conspiratorial efforts be thwarted," he added.