Dhaka: The National Citizen Party (NCP) has emphasized that discussions and decisions regarding national elections should be finalized only after the declaration and effective implementation of the July Charter, along with a clear roadmap for justice and fundamental reforms. The party has highlighted the urgent need for consensus among political parties on issues concerning national unity, independence, sovereignty, and state reform prior to any election.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, in a press release signed by the party’s Joint Office Secretary Saleh Uddin Sifat, the NCP expressed its views on the ongoing political dialogue and the pathway to the upcoming national election. The statement asserted that final discussions on the election should occur only after the formulation of the July Declaration, the implementation of the July Charter, and the announcement of a clear justice roadmap.
The party welcomed the interim government’s initiative to engage various political parties in discussions concerning state structure reform, viewing this as a positive development. Referring to a recent meeting in London between the Chief Adviser of the interim government, Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, and Acting Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Tarique Rahman, the NCP noted that the government successfully gained the BNP’s confidence in the electoral process through this discussion.
However, the NCP expressed disappointment that issues of justice and reform did not receive sufficient importance in the talks compared to the focus on election dates. The party voiced concern that the government’s attention appeared disproportionately skewed toward accommodating a single party’s position on the election date, potentially neglecting the broader expectations of the general public.
The statement further warned that holding parliamentary elections without finalizing the July Declaration, implementing the July Charter, and outlining a clear justice roadmap would merely reduce the uprising to a simple transfer of power, suppressing public aspirations for state rebuilding. The NCP stated that announcing an election date without preparing and implementing the July Charter would not be acceptable to the people.
The NCP urged the government to initiate a collective effort to reach a consensus on reform issues with political parties, draft and implement the July Charter, and appropriately honor the upcoming July.