TDS Desk:

BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain on Monday urged the interim government to promptly arrange a credible national election to transfer power to public representatives peacefully and with dignity.

Speaking at a discussion, he cautioned the interim government, reminding that the people of the country ousted HM Ershad and Sheikh Hasina regimes through uprisings as their right to vote was denied.

“The term of the interim government will never be indefinite. At some point, they have to leave. They must hand over power to the elected representatives of the people if they want to leave peacefully and with dignity,” the BNP leader said.

He made the remarks at a programme organised by the Doctors’ Association of Bangladesh (DAB) titled “Shaheed Zia and Multi-Party Democracy and the Current Political Context” at Dhaka Medical College’s Dr Milon Auditorium, marking the 89th birth anniversary of BNP founder and former President Ziaur Rahman.

Mosharraf, a BNP Standing Committee member, said their party has been supporting the interim government since its formation urging it to hand over power to public representatives by holding a free and fair election after promptly completing reforms as much as possible.

“If the government does this, the people of the country will be able to support the future government in peace and comfort and help take the nation forward, ” he said.

He said the government is talking about reforms, but all reforms cannot be carried out by fixing any specific timeframe as it is an ongoing process.

The BNP leader said his party has submitted its reform proposals in response to the government’s call. “The government should now finalise the reform proposals through discussions with all the parties and take steps for their implementation.”

Mosharraf said any reform this administration is unable to implement will remain incomplete and can be completed by the next government. “So, if this government wants to leave peacefully and with dignity, it is imperative to arrange the election after completing the reforms without further delay and transfer power to the representatives of the people,” he said.

The BNP leader said the people of Bangladesh changed governments through their votes in 1991, 1996, and 2001 as they were given the opportunity to exercise their right to franchise.

However, he said the students and the people of this country overthrew governments, including those of Ershad and Hasina, through mass uprisings when their right to vote was obstructed.

“So, we would request the current government to understand these realities and arrange an election very soon for a permanent solution,” the BNP leader said.