Major political parties want national elections to be conducted soon on completion of necessary reforms relevant to the polls.
However, opinions differ over the sequence of elections-the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) along with some other parties stresses the priority of national elections first while the emergent Jatiya Nagorik Committee and the Bangladesh Gono Odhikar Parishad advocate for local-government elections to precede.
They made their remarks during the National Consensus Commission's opening meeting at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka on Saturday, which the interim government describes as "the second phase" of their reign leading to a "new Bangladesh" based on a new charter to be written in the light of the 'July revolution'.
During the meeting, all political parties, however, struck a unison that national unity is essential in the current situation of transition after the ouster of the Awami League government.
Presiding over the meeting, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus said the ultimate goal of the interim government is to make the July Charter by reaching a consensus over reforms with political parties.
"If I say that there is no need for reforms, people will laugh at…we are not saying we do not need reforms. But we need reforms deeply," he said while delivering his closing remarks at the first meeting of the National Consensus Commission with the political parties at the Foreign Service Academy.
The Chief Adviser observed that there was no limit of misdeeds while no institution was running properly and no law was operational fully.
So, he said, the reforms are needed, asking who will oppose it.
If the political parties reach a consensus over reforms, implementing those will be easy, he said.
"Here, you will not get enough chance to oppose it…if there is objection, it would be corrected," Prof Yunus said, adding that they are united over reforms.
That is why, he said, the ultimate goal is to prepare a charter - July Charter - by reaching consensus over reforms. How the charter will be implanted will be discussed later but reaching a consensus is very important, he added.
"If we could not reach a consensus, there will be no way."
Prof Yunus, also the chairman of the National Consensus Commission, said the reform proposals of the six reform commissions will be uploaded on a website where all political parties will be able to give their opinions on those.
"After getting your opinions, we will decide what can be done to this end," he said.
The Chief Adviser said once the July Charter is prepared, it will be sent to political parties to sign and then it will be preserved at museums and other places.
The charter must be proclaimed in any way to sustain the country as a state, he said.
"We have to do it (the charter)…final word is that we are not free from it. We have no way of getting out of it. This is my appeal to you. You will be able to do it," the Chief Adviser said.
"We pledge to ensure we do not dishonour the sacrifices made by students and the public. Future generations must remember the cause for which they sacrificed their lives."
Leaders from various political parties, including BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, LDP, Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar), Nagorik Oikya, Islami Andolan, Khelafat Majlish, Gono Sanghati Andolon, Gonoadhikar Parishad, and Jatiya Nagorik Committee attended the meeting with Chief Adviser Prof Yunus in the chair. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir led the BNP delegation at the meeting.
The meeting was also attended by members of National Consensus Commission - Prof Ali Riaz, Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, Safar Raj Hossain, Badiul Alam Majumder, Justice Emdadul Haque and Dr Iftekharuzzaman.
While talking to the journalists after attending the consensus meeting, BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir expressed the hope that national elections would be held soon after minimal reforms are implemented.
"We expect that a basic consensus on these reforms will be reached quickly, paving the way for an early national election. That is our expectation," he told reporters.
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