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The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has called for the swift completion of electoral and institutional reforms initiated by the interim government, alongside holding the national election by December 2025. The demand came during a high-stakes meeting between BNP leaders and Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna on Friday evening (24 May).
“We urged the chief adviser to expedite the reform process and ensure elections are held by December,” said Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, BNP Standing Committee member, while briefing reporters after the meeting. “We also called for the immediate announcement of an election roadmap and the restructuring of the Advisory Council to exclude controversial figures.”
BNP further demanded the removal of National
Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman and two advisers linked to student politics — Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan and Information Adviser Mahfuj Alam. “We reiterated this demand both orally and in a written statement today,” added BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed.
Asked if the BNP was satisfied with the meeting, Salahuddin said, “We’ve expressed our position. Now it is up to the chief adviser to respond through his official channels. Only then can we assess whether our concerns have been addressed.”
According to Mosharraf, the BNP emphasized that the government’s three agendas — reforms, justice, and elections — need not be interdependent. “Justice and reform are long-term issues, but the election must take place within a fixed timeframe. We want justice for the persecution inflicted upon us by the Awami League, but that process can continue beyond the election.”
BNP leader Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury echoed this sentiment, noting, “It is possible to hold the election even before December. This was part of our discussion as well.” Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan added that a clearly announced election roadmap could help restore political stability across the country.
The meeting, which began at 7:30pm and ended around 8:30pm, was attended by a four-member BNP delegation led by Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, including Amir Khasru, Salahuddin Ahmed, and Moyeen Khan.
The BNP’s engagement with the interim government comes amid an increasingly complex political landscape, as the administration seeks consensus on reforms and transition. BNP leaders previously expressed frustration over delays in securing a meeting with the Chief Adviser. “If a major political party like BNP has to wait five or six days for an appointment, that reflects poorly on the state of political communication,” Salahuddin remarked.
Following the BNP meeting, Chief Adviser Yunus also held separate discussions with leaders of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP), focusing on timelines and frameworks for the upcoming national election.
