BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed. File Photo

DHAKA, June 6, 2025 (BSS) - BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed today said Chief Adviser Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus’s announcement of holding the national elections in the first half of April does not meet nation’s expectations.

“The nation’s expectations were not met by the chief adviser's speech. We are holding an emergency meeting of the standing committee at 9 pm. Party's acting chairman Tarique Rahman will chair it. The issue will be discussed there,” he told reporters in an immediate reaction this evening.

Salahuddin said BNP will discuss with their allies of movement and other political parties and then give a detailed response later.

The BNP leader said more than 50 political parties have been demanding elections by December for long. 

“We have always presented our statement logically and logically to hold the elections by December. Without taking that into account, they announced the election at a time when there will be public examinations and the weather will remain not good. Also, as far as we know, the month of Ramadan will start around February 16, 17 or 18,” he said.

“If elections have to be held in the first half of April, then the campaign (the 45-day period from the announcement of the schedule) will have to be done within Ramadan. This is an unreasonable idea,” he said.

Stating that it would have been acceptable if the election date had been announced in December or January, Salahuddin Ahmed said if there is a need to delay it too much, then even if the election is held in December or January, it would have been acceptable.