‘Unrealistic to Hold Local Polls Under Interim Govt’: BNP’s Salahuddin
Last Updated on July 2, 2025 9:45 pm
By Masum Billah
Dhaka, 2 July 2025 —Bangladesh Nationalist Party- BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed has dismissed the proposal to hold local government elections under an interim government as “unrealistic”, citing the staggered terms of various local bodies across the country.
Speaking to reporters following a meeting of the National Consensus Commission (NCC), Salahuddin said, “The terms of union parishads, upazila parishads, municipalities, and city corporations end at different times. To conduct all these elections under an interim administration would require it to stay in power for five years. That’s simply not feasible.”
In discussions held earlier in the day, the NCC reportedly made significant progress on several fronts. Salahuddin said there was consensus on his proposal to form a special expert committee for constituency delimitation based on census data, under Article 119(1) of the Constitution.
On broader reform matters, he stated, “We’ve agreed on many key issues, including limiting a person’s total tenure as prime minister to a fixed number of years. Our aim is to ensure a balanced governance system that prevents the rise of fascism.”
Addressing reforms in top constitutional appointments, Salahuddin said BNP proposed selecting the president and chief justice from among judges of the Appellate Division, using a shortlist system. “All parties except one agreed,” he noted, adding that BNP submitted detailed opinions on 134 proposals from the Constitutional Reform Commission, and consensus was achieved on most of them.
“We’ve extended full cooperation,” he stressed. “We don’t want to be accused of blocking progress. We’ve submitted written proposals to all six major reform commissions. Except for one legal matter in the ACC Reform Commission, we’ve responded to every issue.”
On the caretaker government model, Salahuddin reiterated BNP’s opposition to allowing the judiciary alone to select the chief adviser. “Most parties oppose that approach. While we support a 90-day tenure, a 30-day extension could be permitted in exceptional situations,” he said.
He further noted that BNP has proposed mechanisms for forming a neutral interim government without judicial involvement. “There’s growing agreement on partially repealing the 15th Amendment. Even Justice Khairul Haque has suggested exploring alternatives to judicial oversight,” Salahuddin added.
He concluded by saying, “We are ready to finalise a caretaker model that reflects national consensus and upholds democratic principles. There’s still room for discussion, but the direction is clear.”