BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed on Tuesday said, there is no doubt about the upcoming national election being held in February.
"The election will be held within the timeframe announced by the government and there is no scope to think otherwise," he told the media at his Gulshan residence in Dhaka.
Any party not participating in the election is their political freedom. Those who boycott with an excuse will exclude themselves from future politics.
BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed
"However, two or three parties are trying to create confusion. This could be their political strategy," Salahuddin added.
Expressing BNP's expectations regarding the elections, the BNP leader said, "This election will be a historic event in the country's political history."
In response to the question of some parties boycotting the election if the July Charter is not implemented, he said, "Any party not participating in the election is their political freedom. Those who boycott with an excuse will exclude themselves from future politics."
On demands for a Proportional Representation (PR) system or a Constituent Assembly, Salahuddin termed them "political tactics to heat up the field," adding that those who oppose the election mood will be "sidelined."
Regarding the July Charter, he said BNP finds some points unreasonable and will present alternative proposals during talks with the National Consensus Commission. "Nothing that stands above the constitution will be acceptable."
He expected political parties to reach a consensus through discussions.
Salahuddin also noted that BNP does not want complications over the election under the interim government, as the current government was formed with consensus. He added that the matter of the caretaker government may be implemented in the next election after it is reinstated.
As for alliances, he ruled out any possibility of joining with Jamaat-e-Islami but said BNP may form coalitions with groups involved in the joint movement, and discussions are ongoing with some Islamist parties, though nothing has been finalised yet.
