BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed has firmly rejected the proposal for holding simultaneous Constituent Assembly and National Parliament elections, a suggestion recently made by National Citizen’s Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam. Speaking at an Iftar gathering organized by the Khilafat Majlis in Dhaka on Saturday, Ahmed stated, “Our stance is clear: there will be no national consensus on holding both elections together. As a member of a major political party, I can affirm that the National Parliament election is our top priority.”

The proposal for joint elections was floated by Nahid Islam in an interview with Reuters last Thursday, where she suggested that the Constituent Assembly and National Parliament elections could be held simultaneously if there was a national consensus. However, Ahmed dismissed the idea, emphasizing that such a concept does not align with established political norms. “We saw our new friends in politics presenting a novel proposal yesterday. But politics has its own grammar and dictionary, and such terms do not exist in it,” he remarked.

Ahmed further clarified that the Constituent Assembly is a forum solely for drafting the constitution, while the National Parliament holds the authority to amend the constitution from ‘A to Z.’ He added, “If you wish to call it a new constitution, you may do so. But we must avoid using unnecessary and inconsistent terms that are not part of the political lexicon.”

The Iftar event also saw speeches from leaders of various Islamic and political parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami’s Central Naib-e-Ameer Mujibur Rahman, who called for unity among Islamic parties to establish an Islamic state. “After the sacrifices made in the anti-fascism movement, we now see some showing favor to fascist regimes. Let us unite for the cause of Islam and strive to implement the teachings of the Quran,” he urged.

Other prominent figures who spoke at the gathering included Revolutionary Workers Party General Secretary Saiful Haque, AB Party Chairman Majibur Rahman Manju, and National Party (Kazi Zafar) Secretary General Ahsan Habib Lincoln. Leaders from the Islamic Movement, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), and Bangladesh Labour Party also attended the event, emphasizing the need for political and social reform.

The gathering highlighted the diverse political landscape of Bangladesh, with leaders from various parties coming together to discuss pressing national issues. However, the proposal for simultaneous elections remains a contentious topic, with BNP and other major parties firmly opposing the idea. As the political discourse continues, the focus remains on ensuring a fair and transparent National Parliament election, which is seen as crucial for the country’s democratic future.