NN Online:
BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed on Saturday sharply criticized the interim government, accusing it of using reform rhetoric as a distraction while failing to take meaningful steps toward holding national elections within December.
Speaking at a discussion organized by the BNP’s Krishak Dal at the Institution of Diploma Engineers in Dhaka, marking the 44th death anniversary of party founder Ziaur Rahman, Salahuddin said, “The government is merely ‘showing bananas’ in the name of reforms, without delivering any concrete outcome.”
Mocking the repeated announcements surrounding the reform process, he said, “How many times will you inaugurate the same reforms? There was an inauguration in the first phase, again in the second, and now in the third you’ve merged things together. This is nothing but a political show.”
Referring to Chief Adviser Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus’s call for another round of talks on June 2, Salahuddin questioned the need for yet another formal launch. “We told you to compile previous discussions and present them to the nation. Instead, you keep restarting the process. How many inaugurations does it take?”
He emphasized that justice for crimes against humanity committed by what he termed as “fascist forces” must take precedence over hollow reform gestures. Salahuddin also accused the Chief Adviser of going back on his commitment to hold elections by December. “You assured the nation of polls within this year. Backtracking now is deeply disappointing,” he said.
Highlighting the sacrifices of BNP activists, Salahuddin said many had shed blood, endured torture, imprisonment, and even went to ‘Aynaghor’ (alleged secret detention sites). “We did not suffer all that to see democracy undermined,” he stated, referring to his own abduction in 2015 by individuals reportedly posing as law enforcement.
He reiterated BNP’s demand for a democratically elected government and the restoration of voting rights. “If merely demanding our democratic rights makes you uncomfortable, Honourable Chief Adviser, that is unfortunate. How much longer will reforms be used as an excuse for inaction?”
Salahuddin insisted there is no valid reason to delay elections beyond December. “If there is even one justification for deferring the polls, let the nation know. Otherwise, don’t use reforms as a smokescreen,” he urged.
While acknowledging that reforms are an ongoing process, he stressed that they must not be weaponized to justify delaying democratic processes. “Reforms evolve with the country’s needs—but they cannot come at the cost of people’s voting rights.”
The discussion was chaired by Krishak Dal General Secretary Shahidul Islam Babul, and attended by several senior BNP leaders, including Acting Chairman’s Adviser Mahdi Amin, BNP Executive Committee Member Tabith Awal, and other Krishak Dal representatives.
