‘If the government cannot remain neutral, a neutral government will be needed’

The interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus will not be able to organize the elections if it cannot maintain neutrality. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said this in an exclusive interview with BBC Bangla on Tuesday.

It is learnt that the students who led the July coup want to form a new political party and participate in the next elections. In this case, the BNP Secretary General commented that if they want to participate in the elections by keeping their representatives in the government, other political parties will not accept this.

In the interview, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir highlighted the party’s position on many other issues including thoughts on the next elections, Awami League’s participation in the elections, reaction to the reform proposals.

BBC Bangla editor Mir Sabbir conducted the interview with the BNP Secretary General in two parts. The first part is presented here:

BBC Bangla: Mr. Alamgir, thank you very much for joining the BBC Bangla interview. How are you?

Mirza Fakhrul: Good, good. Very good.

BBC Bangla: First, I want to start with the election. Recently, you said in a press conference that it is possible to hold elections between July-August of this year (2025). Are you talking about a possibility, or do you want the elections to be held in July-August?

Mirza Fakhrul: We want early elections. We have said it before. Reforms, which are minimum reforms, should be carried out within a reasonable time and the National Assembly elections should be held as soon as possible. We have been saying this from the beginning and we believe that, based on the experience we have seen in past caretaker governments, it is not impossible. It is possible, if the government wants to hold elections between June-July or August, they can do it.

BBC Bangla: What exactly do you want the elections to be held within this time?

Mirza Fakhrul: We do not want to say a specific time because it will not be beneficial. Because, the government will also have to ask. Different political parties should also ask for it—everyone should ask for it together. But from our side, we think it is not impossible. It is very possible and the sooner it happens, the better for the country.

BBC Bangla: But you don’t have a deadline or time frame?

Mirza Fakhrul: We haven’t given a deadline yet.

BBC Bangla: If you see that the election is not happening within the time frame you expect, what will be your action in that case?

Mirza Fakhrul: In that case, we will discuss and decide. We will discuss and decide in our party and we will also discuss with those who were and are in the movement with us. We will discuss and decide.

BBC Bangla: The head of the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus, has said that they want to carry out some reforms and when those reforms are completed, they will go to an election. So are you willing to wait until the reforms are completed?

Mirza Fakhrul: We have been making our words clear. I have said that if we try to carry out as many reforms as he has initiated, it will not be completed even in 10 years. And reforms are an ongoing process. Two years ago, we gave 31 points for state repair. These issues are among them.

There is the issue of constitutional reform, we have talked about the Judicial Commission, we have talked about the Election Commission, we have talked about bureaucracy reform in 31 points, we have talked about a bicameral parliament—we have said all these. Now, we do not know what report they are coming up with on what they have done in that regard.

If the reports show that they agree with us, then there is no problem. But for those that do not, there must be a minimum consensus. Then that will have to happen.

Another issue is, you have given the reform, but who will approve it? Only those who have the legal right can do that. That is Parliament.

But without Parliament, any constitutional reform will be difficult. There are even several other issues that need to be changed in the constitution. But those are not possible without Parliament. That is why we think, the sooner the election is better.

BBC Bangla: Do you think that the interim government should not go to such policy decisions until the elected government comes or they cannot go?

Mirza Fakhrul: We are not saying that they should not go. But they cannot go, so it would not be right for any of the parties to go unless there is a consensus.

BBC Bangla: There has been a lot of talk about the tenure of this government and everyone thinks that this government will last until the elections.

Mirza Fakhrul: If the government maintains complete neutrality, then only they will stay until the elections are conducted. Otherwise, a neutral government will be needed.

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