TDS Desk:

BNP Standing Committee member Hafiz Uddin Ahmed has said their party wants to give a logical time to the current Prof Muhammad Yunus-led interim government to bring necessary reforms to the state, making it clear that they will not allow it to stay in power for an indefinite period.

“We want to give them enough time so that they can carry out necessary reforms. We don’t want to specify any timeframe right now but we’ll see what the interim government does. It’s doing well so far. We want to give it a logical time,” he said in an interview with.

“It’ll take years to overhaul the entire state. We can’t wait that long. We want the elected representatives to be responsible to people as parliament is the place for accountability for any national problem. We want to see how Prof Yunus does” the BNP leader added.

BNP won’t wait for indefinite period for pollsRegarding the type of reforms that the BNP wants from the interim government, he said the people of Bangladesh had not been able to exercise their franchise in the last 16 years while the young generation does not know how to vote. “I hope Prof Yunus will carry out mainly reforms to establish democracy and democratic principles.”

Hafiz Uddin said human rights violations were rampant during the Awami League regime while the main focal point of the student

movement was equality. “We want the restoration of human rights and democracy. We want the citizens to be owners of this country.”

He expressed the hope that a fair election will be held under the current interim government at the right time. “BNP is waiting for this. Let this government carry out the reforms. Then whenever Prof Yunus announces the date for election after a reasonable time, BNP will participate in the polls.”

The BNP leader said they have extended support to the interim government as it is trying to heal the wounds inflicted by the Sheikh Hasina-led AL. “They’re doing well so far.”

He said their party also wants to bring positive changes in the political culture and they are committed to bringing reforms to the state if they are voted to power. “To this end, we’ve already announced programmes (31-point state reform formula). We’ll implement those. We’ll try to get people’s mandate on this 31-point reform proposal during the next polls. And hopefully, the entire nation will support us,” he added.

About their programmes after the mass uprising, which led to the ouster of the autocratic Awami League government, Hafiz Uddin said they are currently reorganising their party and recruiting new members to prepare it for the next general election.

He said all the BNP leaders as well as acting party Chairman Tarique Rahman in their meetings expressed the opinions that they should strictly keep their party men disciplined as BNP is the party of Ziaur Rahman who is very well-known and respected by people for his honesty. “We should follow his footsteps and ideals and that’s what BNP will do right now.”

“We’ve warned our party men that they shouldn’t do what Awami League did. They should behave well with people and shouldn’t get involved in extortion, ransacking or occupying others’ land and houses. That’s also a challenge for the party,” the BNP policymaker added.

He said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will go abroad soon for better treatment. “After her return, we all expect that she’ll helm the party and lead the party to the next election. We want to see her as prime minister again.”

About the return of Tarique Rahman from London, Hafiz Uddin said there are some cases against him and he has also been convicted in some cases. “The legal battle is now going on. It’ll be decided by the court. Hopefully, he’ll return home soon.”

Asked about the role of the BNP in the student-led mass uprising, he said the quota reform movement morphed into a movement for democracy and human rights at one stage when the BNP joined along with other parties like Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami joined the students.

Claiming that 298 leaders and activists of the BNP and its front and associate organisations were killed by police in the student-led mass uprising, the BNP leader said this has been a people’s movement launched by the BNP, which was bolstered by students and finally through the joining of the countrymen.

“I would like to thank the students for their heroic struggle as they’ve become a role model to the young generation of the entire world. We’ve read in books only about revolution. But this time, 18 crore people of Bangladesh have seen a revolution of their own,” he said.

Hafiz Uddin said Sheikh Hasina should be brought back home and tried in Bangladesh for her atrocities so that an example can be set in the country and nobody tries to be a dictator again.

He said they will push the interim government to ensure that the deposed prime minister be brought back through the United Nations and International Court of Justice.