Dhaka: According to a high official of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), one of the biggest political groups in the South Asian country, the party will maintain friendly connections with India in the post-Hasina era.
BNP is a party that promotes friendship with all and antagonism with none. This is our philosophy, which was developed by former President Shaheed Ziaur Rahman: friendship to all, adversary to none. India is our major neighbour. So, the BNP enjoys working with everyone, doing so with integrity, dignity, and friendship, according to BNP's legal affairs secretary, Kayser Kamal, in an interview with ANI.
Despite the mutual skepticism among political parties in Bangladesh, the BNP maintains that the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus will be able to conduct free, fair, and inclusive elections, a senior BNP official told reporters on Tuesday.
Dr Muhammad Yunus is administering the government in support of all political groups. Following Hasina's flight from the nation on August 5, all political parties agreed and invited him to join the government as the executive leader. As a result, we may assume that the political parties, including the BNP, trust that he will hold a legitimate, participatory, and inclusive election, he said.
Dr. Yunus also emphasized several times that this election will serve as an example for the rest of the country. As a result, we are confident that he can hold a free, fair, and legitimate election, Kamal stated.
The BNP's legal affairs secretary also stated that, despite the interim government's ban on Awami League activity, his party supports a multiparty system.
In fact, Awami League operations are presently halted. As far as I'm aware, the Awami League is not forbidden. Their operations are presently stopped. It is an executive decision. As a political party, the BNP always believes in democracy and multiparty in the nation, according to Kamal, a barrister.
In explaining BNP's policy, he stated, "As you know, Shahid President Ziaur Rahman, the founder of BNP, created and implemented multiparty democracy and government. " Sheikh Hasina's father established a one-party system while in authority. Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, however, ascended to power and established multiparty democracy. As a result, the BNP supports multiparty democracy.
However, given the current situation, the executive decided to halt the Awami League's activities, he stated, without providing details.
Concerning Khaleda Zia's health and legal position, Kayser Kamal said that the BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia is always in the heart of the party. Under her leadership, BNP has expanded so far that it now has offices not only in the nation but also across the subcontinent, making it one of the largest political groups. Given her age, past illnesses, and everything else, a physician is in a better position to comment on her current health.
Her legal standing is rather strong. She was unfortunately wrongly convicted as a result of Sheikh Hasina's personal vendetta. Following August 5, she has been released by court order. There are no lawsuits pending, he stated.
The BNP chief claimed that Sheikh Hasina directed the massacre of the people and urged her to face trial.
This is not only the case with the BNP; all Bangladeshis want Sheikh Hasina to return to the country and answer to the accusations filed against her. Certainly, under her leadership and direction, I refer to Hasina; 2,000 innocent people were murdered brutally in a targeted killing led by Sheikh Hasina. As a result, she must face the courts and address the accusations leveled against her, according to him.
According to BNP, it always seeks to win in the judicial system and believes in the rule of law. As a result, we want Sheikh Hasina to return and confront the consequences, he stated.
Kayser Kamal feels that Hindus were more vulnerable during the Awami League administration.
The degree of minority abuse, whatever is claimed, is incorrect. When the Awami government was in power, minorities were much more susceptible than they are today. So, some Hindu figures not only belong to the Awami League, but also serve as its leaders. People are furious and frustrated with them, as they are with other Awami League officials, because they have done many wrong things. They are not regarded as Hindus. They were viewed as Awami League leaders, according to him.
For example, in my constituency, Hindus make up roughly 5% of the population. You cannot provide a simple example in which no minority was being harassed. There were a few, I believe, throughout the country, but those were political concerns rather than a Hindu-Muslim situation, according to Kamal.
Earlier in June, Yunus indicated that national elections would be held in early February of the following year. Muhammad Yunus met with acting BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman in London in June. Rahman advised the Chief Adviser that the elections be conducted prior to Ramadan next year in the Muslim-majority country of 170 million people.
Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh's former Prime Minister, was ousted in a student-led revolt in August of last year. Following Sheikh Hasina's downfall, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was established.
