Desk Report,
February Festival National Election: Chief Advisor
Principal Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus said that the progress made by the country’s political parties towards consensus through the National Consensus Commission will be a unique example not only for Bangladesh but also for the entire world. He said that the national elections will be held next February and that will be the ‘festival of the nation’s rebirth’.
February Festival National Election: Chief Advisor
The Principal Advisor said this at the ongoing dialogue of the National Consensus Commission with political parties at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital on Sunday. He said, ‘When the idea of the commission came in the beginning, I was not sure whether it would survive or not. But today, after covering a long way, I am overwhelmed by your discussions and decisions.’
Commenting that the experience of the commission will be followed by other countries in the future, the Principal Advisor said, ‘This will not be just the experience of Bangladesh, the whole world will see how we solved the problem.’
The Principal Advisor emphasized, ‘There is no alternative path before the nation. There is no chance of getting out of the path we have started. We have to come to this equality. This is the opportunity given by the students and the public, from which a new Bangladesh will be built.’
Regarding the upcoming elections, Professor Yunus said, ‘We have repeatedly said that the elections will be held in February, the elections will be held in the first half of February. It will be a festive election, if we can decide through consensus. This election is not just an election, it will be the rebirth of the nation.’
The chief advisor also said, ‘There will be a real rebirth of the nation. This is not just an election, it is a rebirth. All this sacrifice, all this blood—all this will be worthwhile if we can achieve this rebirth.’Warning that there is no room for division or disagreement, the chief advisor said, ‘We can talk a lot, but we cannot end it by disagreeing. Only when we reach consensus, the elections will be worthwhile.’
Professor Muhammad Yunus gave an example and said, ‘We now have an opportunity like Aladdin’s lamp. The uprising of the students and the public has brought that power. We can ask for small things if we want, or we can rebuild the entire nation if we want. This opportunity has come once, and it will not come again.’
The Chief Advisor also emphasized the need to continue discussions among political parties. He said, ‘Such a big task will never be available again. So we have to move forward with patience. Our job until the election day is to create a festive atmosphere without any conflict.’
The Chief Advisor said, ‘We have built the highway, now all that remains is to put up the signboards. The path is clear, the destination is clear. This election will be a festive election, the beginning of peace and a new journey for the country.’
The Chief Advisor also said, ‘The main goal of our reforms is to close all the roadblocks so that no dictatorship can return. For this, everyone has to agree.’
The Chief Advisor called the work of the commission an unprecedented achievement. Expressing gratitude for the hard work of the commission members and political leaders, he said, ‘You have written a memorable chapter in history. Now it only needs to be completed perfectly. Through this, a new nation will be born.’
The Chief Advisor said to the political leaders, ‘This time we have no chance of failure. We will move forward on this path of consensus, make the elections successful and start the journey of the great festival as a nation.’
At this time, Legal Advisor Professor Asif Nazrul, Vice-President of the National Consensus Commission Professor Ali Riaz, BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed, Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Hamidur Rahman Azad, Member Secretary of NCP Akhtar Hossain and others delivered speeches. The program was moderated by the Chief Advisor’s Special Assistant (Consensus Building) Monir Haider.
