Politics

BNP once again vows national unity govt

Participants in the election, movement to be taken aboard, says Fakhrul

"We want both economic and political reforms. But as a democratic political party we want to place greater emphasis on political reforms."

— BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam

If voted to power, the BNP would form a government of national unity and ensure representation from the parties that would participate in the polls and those who protested against the last autocratic regime, said the party's Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday.

"We have talked about forming a national government with the participation of those who are involved in the elections as well as the movement," he said at the concluding session of the programme titled 'White paper and thereafter: Economic management, reforms and national budget'.

The BNP has been talking about a national unity government. Most recently, in September last year, its acting chairman Tarique Rahman said his party envisions a future where the country is governed by a national government to fully harness the power of national unity.

Yesterday's event was organised by the White Paper Committee 2024 in collaboration with Citizen's Platform for SDGs Bangladesh at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

Fakhrul said, "We want both economic and political reforms. But as a democratic political party, we want to place greater emphasis on political reforms. The recent mass uprising made one thing clear: there is an intense desire among the people for change. They want to see Bangladesh as a truly happy and prosperous country, to improve their standard of living."

With the support of the people, the BNP would work to make Bangladesh a prosperous country.

But without changing the political structure, fulfilling the aspirations would be quite difficult, he said.

The party's 31-point reform agenda includes limiting the term of the prime minister to two terms, bringing in a balance of power between the PM and the president, and introducing the bicameral parliament system, which is a two-house legislative system similar to the British parliament.

It has not been finalised yet who will be in the upper house, but the idea is to elect those who do not directly contest elections but can contribute to the country, Fakhrul said.

"Another crucial aspect we want to focus on is strengthening democratic institutions. One of our greatest weaknesses lies in the fragility of our institutions -- institutions that are essential for democracy, the state, and the economy."

Over the past 15 years, the institutions have been completely dismantled.

"Therefore, we aim to prioritise rebuilding and strengthening them."

The BNP is working on a future course of action to move the country forward, taking lessons from past experiences.

About the party's continued emphasis on the election roadmap, Fakhrul said: "It is necessary because, through elections, we can connect with the people, involve them in the process and constitute a parliament where public interest issues can be discussed and addressed."

Only an elected government can properly resolve the country's problems and usher in reforms, he said.

In response to a question from CPD Chairman Rehman Sobhan about giving party tickets to loan defaulters, Fakhrul said: "It cannot be changed overnight. We are committing to people that we will sincerely try to ensure that defaulters do not get nominations. We will be very careful in this regard."

In response to a question on whether their party wants the Awami League to participate in the election, the 76-year-old said: "We have made this matter clear many times. The people of the country, not us, will decide on this matter."

While answering a query about the Rohingya issue, Fakhrul criticised the AL government for not taking sufficient measures to resolve the crisis.

"The government did not hold discussions that were truly needed with India and China to resolve the Rohingya crisis. In fact, it was not a priority for them."

He promised that if voted to power, the BNP would try its best to find a suitable solution to the Rohingya crisis.

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BNP once again vows national unity govt

Participants in the election, movement to be taken aboard, says Fakhrul

"We want both economic and political reforms. But as a democratic political party we want to place greater emphasis on political reforms."

— BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam

If voted to power, the BNP would form a government of national unity and ensure representation from the parties that would participate in the polls and those who protested against the last autocratic regime, said the party's Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday.

"We have talked about forming a national government with the participation of those who are involved in the elections as well as the movement," he said at the concluding session of the programme titled 'White paper and thereafter: Economic management, reforms and national budget'.

The BNP has been talking about a national unity government. Most recently, in September last year, its acting chairman Tarique Rahman said his party envisions a future where the country is governed by a national government to fully harness the power of national unity.

Yesterday's event was organised by the White Paper Committee 2024 in collaboration with Citizen's Platform for SDGs Bangladesh at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

Fakhrul said, "We want both economic and political reforms. But as a democratic political party, we want to place greater emphasis on political reforms. The recent mass uprising made one thing clear: there is an intense desire among the people for change. They want to see Bangladesh as a truly happy and prosperous country, to improve their standard of living."

With the support of the people, the BNP would work to make Bangladesh a prosperous country.

But without changing the political structure, fulfilling the aspirations would be quite difficult, he said.

The party's 31-point reform agenda includes limiting the term of the prime minister to two terms, bringing in a balance of power between the PM and the president, and introducing the bicameral parliament system, which is a two-house legislative system similar to the British parliament.

It has not been finalised yet who will be in the upper house, but the idea is to elect those who do not directly contest elections but can contribute to the country, Fakhrul said.

"Another crucial aspect we want to focus on is strengthening democratic institutions. One of our greatest weaknesses lies in the fragility of our institutions -- institutions that are essential for democracy, the state, and the economy."

Over the past 15 years, the institutions have been completely dismantled.

"Therefore, we aim to prioritise rebuilding and strengthening them."

The BNP is working on a future course of action to move the country forward, taking lessons from past experiences.

About the party's continued emphasis on the election roadmap, Fakhrul said: "It is necessary because, through elections, we can connect with the people, involve them in the process and constitute a parliament where public interest issues can be discussed and addressed."

Only an elected government can properly resolve the country's problems and usher in reforms, he said.

In response to a question from CPD Chairman Rehman Sobhan about giving party tickets to loan defaulters, Fakhrul said: "It cannot be changed overnight. We are committing to people that we will sincerely try to ensure that defaulters do not get nominations. We will be very careful in this regard."

In response to a question on whether their party wants the Awami League to participate in the election, the 76-year-old said: "We have made this matter clear many times. The people of the country, not us, will decide on this matter."

While answering a query about the Rohingya issue, Fakhrul criticised the AL government for not taking sufficient measures to resolve the crisis.

"The government did not hold discussions that were truly needed with India and China to resolve the Rohingya crisis. In fact, it was not a priority for them."

He promised that if voted to power, the BNP would try its best to find a suitable solution to the Rohingya crisis.

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রাজনৈতিক প্রভাবে কেবল ইসি নয় প্রতিটা প্রতিষ্ঠান নষ্ট হয়েছে: সিইসি

সিইসি বলেন, ‘আমরা ইলেকশন কমিশনে যারা আছি আমরা কোনো রাজনীতিতে ঢুকতে চাই না। আমরা কোনো রাজনৈতিক দলের পক্ষে বা বিপক্ষে দাঁড়াতে চাই না, আমরা নিরপেক্ষ থাকতে চাই।’

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