Published : 28 Jul 2025, 06:35 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 01:34 PM
The National Citizen Party has expressed opposition to announcing the schedule for the next parliamentary election before the implementation of the “National Charter and July Proclamation”.
According to the NCP, the election date can only be announced after these consensus documents have been fully implemented.
Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami has demanded that reserved seats for women be allocated proportionally.
On Sunday night, leaders from several parties, including the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and NCP, spoke to reporters following a meeting with the National Consensus Commission at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.
This was the 19th day of the commission’s second round of dialogue with political parties.
NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain said, “If the interim government discusses and decides on an election timeline by speaking with only one party, it will not be acceptable to the other anti-fascist political parties in Bangladesh.
“The election date can only be announced after the implementation of the July Charter and the July Proclamation.”
He added, “If political parties can rise above their individual interests and agree on recommendations that serve the broader national interest and the people of Bangladesh, it is possible to formulate the July Charter within the month.”
The NCP believes the goodwill of the political parties will play the most crucial role in this regard, Akhtar said.
He also mentioned that the chief advisor to the interim government had previously indicated that elections could be held sometime between December and June.
“We believe that within this timeframe, it is possible to make visible judicial and political reforms.”
Referring to opposition to the joint proclamation issued following a meeting in London between Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in June, Akhtar said: “If the government moves ahead with elections without consulting all political parties, it goes beyond saying that such a process will not be acceptable.”
That joint statement had mentioned February 2026, before the month of Ramadan, as the tentative timeframe for the next election, provided all preparations were completed.
Meanwhile, after a meeting with 13 political parties and one alliance on Saturday, 12-Party Alliance Coordinator Mostafa Jamal Haidar said that the interim government head may announce the election date within the next four or five days.
In response, the NCP leader warned: “If the government starts finalising an election without discussion with the anti-fascist political forces -- those who represent the people of Bangladesh -- we will reconsider participating in such an election.”
Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Rafiqul Islam Khan claims that his party is unaware of any plan by the chief advisor to announce an election date in the next few days.
Asked about Jamal Haider’s comment to the media on the possible election date announcement, he said: “We have no such information. As far as we know, the chief advisor has not said this.”
