Staff Correspondent

Describing the interim government led by Dr Muhammad Yunus as the weakest in the country’s history, BNP senior leader Asaduzzaman Ripon on Wednesday said the next election must be held by 2025 to establish an elected administration.

“The current interim government is the weakest in history. With such a weak government in power, the country's independence and sovereignty could be at risk, the law and order situation may worsen, and economic instability may arise. So, an elected government accountable to the people is essential,” he told a discussion.

Zia Shishu-Kishor Mela, a pro-BNP platform, organised the programme at the Jatiya Press Club, marking the 29th death anniversary of late Zahid Hossain Chunnu, former cultural secretary of BNP and former convener of the Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha (Jasas).

Ripon, a BNP Vice Chairman, said the people of Bangladesh will not accept it if the current government wants to cling to power for years in the name of reforms.

"The election must be arranged by 2025 by completing all the necessary reforms," he asserted.

Ripon, also a former president of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, said the main reason behind all the crises created in Bangladesh is the lack of credible elections. "Elections are the cause of all the crises in Bangladesh. A properly elected government can never be an autocrat.”

The BNP leader said the government is talking about reforms, but there are no visible efforts by it to complete the overhauling of state institutions.

He said the government has already missed three important steps of reform by reconstituting the Election Commission and the Anti-Corruption Commission, and recruiting 23 judges, all following the same pattern as Sheikh Hasina, before the final report of the relevant reform commissions.

Ripon said although Sheikh Hasina’s government was ousted through a mass uprising, the nation has yet to overcome the crisis.

"We are still in a great crisis. Our leader Tarique Rahman has repeatedly said the upcoming elections will be difficult as conspiracies are being hatched against BNP. So, we must reach out to the people and gain their trust," he said.

The BNP leader also urged everyone to be cautious, as politics before August 5 and politics after August 5 are not the same. "We must keep in mind what people think if we want to do politics. Otherwise, we’ll make political mistakes," he observed.

Ripon also called upon everyone, including students, not to create divisions by raising the issue of who played what role in the July-August uprising.

"We must note one thing that the movement can’t be divided in any way. The spirit of the movement cannot be divided. If we do so, the fallen dictator will benefit from it. So, we can’t allow the autocrats to make political gains," he said.