The BNP and its like-minded parties have firmly opposed plans to hold local government elections before the national polls.

The parties want to hold programmes to mobilise public support for an early national election if the government attempts to delay it by raising issues like local government elections.

At liaison committee meetings between the BNP and 10 other parties on Wednesday and Thursday, the leaders called the idea of holding local government elections before national polls "an attempt to detract from the major issues".

In recent years, the BNP and these parties simultaneously demonstrated against the Awami League government. As part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen ties, the BNP is scheduled to hold discussions with leaders of the 12-party alliance today.

Leaders of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote -- an alliance of BNP's like-minded parties -- among others, attended the liaison committee meetings at BNP chairperson's Gulshan office.

"We want the national elections to be held after essential electoral reforms as soon as possible," said Fariduzzaman Farhad, chairman of the National People's Party and coordinator of Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote who attended a meeting.

"If the government fails to do this, we will intensify efforts to build public opinion on the issue," he told this newspaper.

"The people want their voting rights restored and an elected government in place," another meeting participant said, requesting anonymity.

During Thursday's meeting, LDP Secretary General Redwan Ahmed criticised the government for what he said was an attempt to shift focus from the national election.

"There was no prior discussion about local government elections. Now, they are suddenly bringing up this issue again, causing confusion with their inconsistent statements," he said.

On Wednesday, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus said that the interim government is simultaneously preparing for national and local body elections.

Asked about the next national election at a press briefing on Thursday, Adviser Mahfuj Alam said the matter depended on the political parties: how much reform they want. This will be discussed during consultation on the reports of the reform commissions.

He added a decision on local government polls would also be taken following consultation with the political parties.

The parties agreed that national elections should be conducted this year. They expressed concerns that unnecessary delays or distractions, such as local government polls, could derail the process.

Jatiya Ganotantrik Party President Khandaker Lutfar Rahman, who attended the meeting, told this newspaper that they would conduct a campaign to gain public support for a national election.

Leaders in the meeting accused the government of failing to address critical issues like deteriorating law and order and the rising cost of essential commodities. They vowed to make these concerns a central focus of their campaigns.

Sources said they also criticised student leaders for undermining the role of political parties in the anti-fascist movement and questioned the funding source for student leaders' activities like private vehicles used during public events.

Speaking to this correspondent, BNP Standing Committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku said the interim government was supposed to hold a national election, but it was making noise about local polls.

As far as he knows, Tuku said, local government elections have never been held under an interim government except during the Ayub Khan regime before independence.

Questioning the intention behind bringing up the local election issue at this time, Tuku accused the government of focusing on reforms instead of election, law and order, and rising prices of daily necessities, which he said is worsening public suffering.