Thinking alternative to election to be deeply dangerous: Prof Yunus
Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Sunday said there is no alternative to election and it would be very dangerous for the nation if anyone thinks of an alternative to an election as he reiterated the government's commitment to February’s national election.
“There is no alternative to election. It would be deeply dangerous for the nation if anyone thinks of an alternative to the election,” Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam quoted Prof Yunus as saying during talks with the top political leaders.
Alam said the Chief Adviser clearly mentioned that the election will be held in a free, fair and festive manner in the first half of February next year as outlined in his recent speech to the nation.
Earlier, Prof Yunus held separate meetings with the leaders of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and National Citizen Party (NCP) where they discussed the country’s overall current situation and the upcoming national election, scheduled to take place in February next year.
In between the talks, National Consensus Commission Vice Chair Prof Ali Riaz Special Assistant (Consensus Building) to the Chief Adviser Monir Haider met Prof Yunus and updated him about the July Charter and views of the political parties, said the Press Secretary.
Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder and Assistant Press Secretary Sushmita Tithi were also present.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir led the BNP delegation at the meeting held at the state guesthouse Jamuna in the evening.
Senior BNP leaders Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr AZM Zahid Hossain and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku accompanied the BNP secretary general in the meeting.
Advisers Wahiduddin Mahmud, Dr Asif Nazrul and Adilur Rahman Khan were also present.
Before meeting the BNP leaders, the Chief Adviser held meetings with the leaders of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and NCP.
The four-member delegation of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami was led by its Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher. Its other members were Jamaat Secretary General Prof Mia Golam Porwar, and Assistant Secretaries General Rafiqul Islam Khan and Hamidur Rahman Azad.
NCP's senior joint convener Ariful Islam Adeeb, first senior joint member secretary Dr Tasnim Jara, Hasnat Abdullah and Abdul Hannan Masud joined the meeting with the Chief Adviser.
Both Jamaat and NCP leaders urged the Chief Adviser to ban the activities of Jatiya Party, tagging its connection with Bangladesh Awami League.
The interim government on Saturday reaffirmed in its strongest terms that the national election will be held on time, in the first half of February 2026.
“This is the solemn commitment of the interim government to the people of Bangladesh. All conspiracies, obstructions, or attempts to delay or derail the election will be firmly resisted by the interim government and our democracy-loving patriotic people,” said the government in a statement.
The government said the will of people shall prevail and no evil force will be allowed to undermine the ‘march to democracy’.
The interim government called for unity among all political and social forces that took part in the July Uprising. “This unity is essential to protect the gains of our struggle, to resist all conspiracies against the people’s mandate, and to ensure our successful transition to democracy,” it said.