In response to remarks of Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman over elections and reforms during the Dr Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami have expressed their reactions in different ways.
The Army Chief made in an interview with the news agency Reuters said that that elections could be held within the next 18 months. The Bangladesh Army will help the current interim government to complete key reforms.
Reuters published Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman’s interview on Tuesday.
Earlier, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) called for elections to be held within three months of the interim government taking office in August. The party had said they want national elections to be held as soon as possible.
In an instant reaction on Tuesday over Army Chief’s statement, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that elections should be held within a reasonable period.
He emphasised that the sooner the election takes place, the better it will be for the nation.
He added that public participation in the reform process is essential, and that's why elections are necessary. On the other hand, Jamaat-e-Islami instantly did not clear its stance over the Army Chief’s statement about elections.
The party’s publicity secretary Advocate Motiur Rahman Akand said that their party would review the Army Chief's statement in the party’s meeting and respond to the Army Chief’s statement officially.
He, however, said that the Army Chief made his statement considering the overall situation.
He said that their party leader had already outlined their stance on the election, mentioning that the focus should be on completing the necessary reforms before the election. For now, this is the party’s official position.
In an interview with Reuters at his office in the capital on Monday, General Waker-Uz-Zaman expressed his full support for the interim government led by Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus. He also presented a framework for keeping the military free from political influence.
Regarding Dr Yunus, General Waker-uz-Zaman said, “I will stand by him, no matter what, so that he can accomplish his mission.”
The Army Chief mentioned that there should be a transition to democracy within one to one and a half years as part of the reform process. However, he stressed the need for patience to achieve this.
He said, “If you ask me, I would say that we should move towards a democratic process within this timeframe.”
General Waker-uz-Zaman stated that he meets with Chief Advisor Dr Yunus every week and that they share a very good relationship. The military continues to support the government’s efforts to stabilize the country after a period of turmoil.
