Reforms, elections are being set against each other for political gains, says Tarique

He highlights the need for political empowerment to ensure sustainable reforms

The way state reforms and elections are being pitted against each other is politically motivated, BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has said.

Speaking virtually from London during an Iftar organised by his party at the Dhaka Ladies Club in Eskaton on Friday, he criticised those who suggest completing reforms before holding the general election.

Tarique said, “What ends is not reform. Reform is never completed; it is an ongoing process.”

Among the interim government’s reform initiatives, the most discussed is constitutional reform.

The National Citizen Party (NCP), formed by the students who led the uprising to oust the Awami League, says it aims to draft a new Constitution through the Constituent Assembly election.

“Although the constitution clearly states that the parliament should be formed by elected representatives through direct votes, the people of Bangladesh, and the world, have witnessed several parliaments formed without public voting under the fascist government,” Tarique said.

"For this reason, BNP believes that in democratic politics, the practical application of democratic political rights and behaviour is more important than bookish or formulaic reforms.”

“Only through the democratic practices of the people can reforms become sustainable, successful, and effective," he added.