CA’s UNGA speech on polls was ‘strong enough’: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today termed Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus’ speech at the UN general assembly (UNGA) on the upcoming national election as “strong enough”, saying his party is convinced that the polls would be held in February next year.
 
“It was strong enough. And in recent days he (Professor Yunus) has been repeating these points. We political parties have no doubt whatsoever. We are convinced that the election will be held in February 2026,” he said.
 
The BNP leader said this replying to a question from journalists at Grand Hyatt Hotel here after joining the 80th session of the UNGA with the Chief Adviser.
 
Applauding Professor Yunus’ speech in the UNGA today, he said his (the Chief Adviser) speech reflected both the government’s reform agenda and the unity of the nation.
 
“The Chief Adviser in his speech undoubtedly spoke about the very purpose for which their government was formed,” Fakhrul said.
 
“Secondly, they assumed responsibility at a time when, after a mass uprising, there was a vacuum in the country. Political parties and students together entrusted them with that responsibility,” he continued. 
 
And within one year, Fakhrul said they have tried to bring the economy and politics- both of which were in a terrible state and had created a crisis- back to a relatively better condition. These issues were indeed reflected in his speech, he added.
 
The BNP leader said Professor Yunus explained how his government began its work and attempted to revive the economy while also addressing the longstanding demand for political reforms.
 
“We, on behalf of BNP, have long been making such proposals. You know that our leader Begum Khaleda Zia put forward the Vision 2030 for the first time in 2016, which called for structural and political reforms. Besides, our leader Tarique Rahman in 2022 announced a 31-point programme highlighting the need for both state structure reforms and economic reforms,” he said.
 
Fakhrul noted that the situation created by the Awami League made fundamental change unavoidable.
 
“Without changing the structure of the state on the one hand and the economic framework on the other, it would be difficult to push the nation forward. That is the work they have started. Today he placed those issues before the nation as well as before the global forum of the United Nations,” he said.
 
Expressing satisfaction at the Chief Adviser’s inclusive approach, the BNP secretary general said, “We are very happy that, for the first time, he brought opposition political parties into the work of the government and took them along to the United Nations. His main objective was to express the unity of the nation.” 
 
“I think this is a unique effort and extremely necessary in Bangladesh’s context. That is why we have extended our full cooperation, and our leader Tarique Rahman supported it,” Fakhrul added.
 
Asked about Jamaat-e-Islami’s movement on the issue of proportional representation (PR), Fakhrul clarified BNP’s position: “We have clearly said we are not in favor of PR in the lower house, nor have we spoken in favor of PR in the upper house.”
 
However, he said, such issues would be resolved later through discussions.