Salahuddin Ahmed, a member of the Standing Committee of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), emphasized the importance of maintaining unity among anti-fascist forces during a meeting held on Thursday regarding the July Declaration. He urged the interim government to focus on ensuring that no divisions arise within the movement against fascism.

Speaking to the media after the meeting held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, Ahmed raised concerns about whether there was still a need for the July Declaration, given the passage of more than five months since the July uprising. He questioned the necessity of the declaration at this point in time.

Despite this, he acknowledged the importance of any political document that eventually becomes part of the nation's history. He reiterated that BNP would respect such documents, but insisted that it is essential for all parties involved to be included in the process of drafting such documents and that their opinions be taken into account.

The BNP leader also emphasized that the unity created during the July-August anti-fascist uprising should be nurtured and converted into a broader national unity that could shape the country’s political culture. He stated that the challenge now is to preserve and strengthen this unity while avoiding any attempts to sow discord within the anti-fascist movement.

"We want to give an inclusive political message that can help unite all anti-fascist political forces," Ahmed said. He stressed that the task now is to hold onto this unity and push forward, particularly with a view to moving the nation forward. "We must not allow any fascist forces or their affiliates to plant seeds of division within us," he added.

Salahuddin Ahmed also pointed out that BNP had provided various suggestions during the meeting regarding political governance and other related matters. However, he made it clear that the discussion did not touch on elections. "We have shared our advice on the July Declaration and other aspects of political documents," he said.

When asked about any objections to the draft of the declaration, Ahmed did not offer a direct response before leaving the meeting.

The meeting, convened by the interim government, saw participation from representatives of various political parties and organizations. These included BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, the Islamic Movement of Bangladesh, the Ganasanghati Andolon, the Gono Adhikar Parishad, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, and the National Citizen Committee. Despite initial uncertainty about BNP’s participation, the party was represented by Salahuddin Ahmed.

The meeting also included a four-member delegation from Jamaat-e-Islami, led by Secretary-General Mia Golam Parwar, along with other leaders such as Ganasanghati Andolon’s chief coordinator Jonaid Saki, former Dhaka University Students' Union VP Nurul Haque Nur from the Gono Adhikar Parishad, and leaders from other political and social organizations.

Additionally, representatives from organizations like the Khelafat Majlis, the Islamic Movement, the State Reform Movement, and other political groups were also present at the meeting.