Election Commission Expected to Declare Poll Date Shortly, Says Khalilur
After a “satisfactory” meeting between Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman on Friday, June 13, expressed the hope that the Election Commission will soon announce a date for the next national election. “There is no problem over the election time. We don’t see any problem… We both sides in the joint statement talked about (our position on) the election, and we hope the Election Commission will soon announce a date for the election,” he told a joint press conference at Dorchester Hotel in London after the meeting. Both Dr Khalilur Rahman and BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said they were happy with the outcome of the meeting. “We’re surely satisfied. We also said that not only before the election, but also after the election, we all will work together for building the country,” said Khosru.
Echoing the BNP leader, Dr Khalilur said, “The joint statement would not have been issued if both sides were not satisfied.” Earlier, a joint statement from the Chief Adviser and Acting BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman was issued following their meeting in London. It said the meeting between Tarique and Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus was held in a very cordial atmosphere. The statement said Tarique Rahman proposed to the Chief Adviser that the national election be held before Ramadan next year. “Party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia also believes that holding the election during that time would be appropriate.” “The Chief Adviser said he has already announced that the election will be held in early April next year. If all preparations are completed, it may even be possible to hold the election in the week before the start of Ramadan in 2026. But, in that case, sufficient progress would need to be made by then regarding reforms and the trial,” the joint statement reads.
It said Tarique welcomed the Chief Adviser’s position and thanked him on behalf of the party. “The Chief Adviser also thanked Mr Tarique Rahman for the fruitful discussion.”The high-stake meeting between Professor Yunus and Tarique ended after nearly two hours of discussion on various crucial issues ahead of the general election. The meeting began at the Dorchester Hotel in London at 2pm Bangladesh time on Friday and continued until 3:30pm (BST), said BNP media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan. The meeting was scheduled to end at 4pm but concluded half an hour earlier than planned. Earlier, National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman and the CA’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam received Tarique Rahman upon his arrival at the hotel around 1:50pm.
