BNP central committee member and Supreme Court Bar Association secretary Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajal said that it is possible to complete the reform process within the next six months and hold elections within three-quarters of 2025. Within this period, the government will be able to complete the agenda, that is, the reform work, and hold elections.

The member of the Bangladesh Bar Council also said that an unelected government has no public support. It is difficult to remain in power for a long time without public support. If an unelected government remains in power for a long time, there is a fear that people associated with the government will be involved in various misdeeds. He made this comment in a recent interview.

Interview details:-

Kajal: Freed from the millstones of the long-standing fascist state system, the people of the country are breathing free air. They are able to speak freely. Apart from some lack of control over the law and order situation, we have not noticed the widespread extortion, bribery, and corruption that people witnessed during the previous government’s tenure in the last four months. The interim government is very democratic. They are holding regular meetings with the political parties active in running the state. Through this, they are able to understand the pulse or attitude of the people to some extent. But the interim government is an unelected government. An unelected government has no public base. It is difficult to remain in power for a long time without public base. If an unelected government is in power for a long time, there is a risk that people related to the government will be involved in various misdeeds. No such allegations have been made against the current government so far. However, if any such allegations are ever made against any of the student leaders or student advisors through whose struggle and sacrifice the victory of August 5 came, it will be very sad and shameful for us. Therefore, it would be in the best interest of both the government and the people to establish a democratic and political government through elections as soon as possible. The reform proposals that the government has taken should be finalized based on the consensus of the political parties and then left to the elected government for implementation.

Kajal: The students and the public were at the forefront of the July-August movement. They also took the momentum of the movement. However, the BNP laid the foundation for this movement. Since the beginning of Hasina’s rule, the BNP has taken a stand against the various misdeeds of the fascist Awami League. Due to this, the BNP has also suffered the most as a party. A wise politician like Ilyas Ali has disappeared. Even after four months of the current government, his family still does not know what happened to Ilyas Ali. Thousands of people have been victims of disappearances, more than 5 million people have been harassed in false cases. The vast majority of them are from the BNP.

BNP has been continuously protesting against the previous government. Even after the last election on January 7, BNP did not stop. Even after the terrorist attack on a BNP rally in Dhaka on October 28 last year, BNP has continued its protest systematically. The day after the rally failed, BNP called a hartal. The Awami government created a frightening situation in the country by arresting, suing, and killing BNP leaders and activists. I am the only person who has taken a procession of lawyers from the Supreme Court to the streets. Thanks to the organizational chain of command, BNP has been able to keep the protest going against the fascist Awami League government. I myself have been arrested as a lawyer.

Before August 5, the BNP Secretary General first stated on behalf of the party that we have moral support for the students’ movement. Later, he said that we are with this movement with all our strength. Those who played a role in taking the movement to its final stage are mainly political activists. It was the political activists of the anti-government political forces who brought the movement to its final momentum. The August 5 revolution is the collective result of the mass explosion of people’s anger against the Hasina government’s long-standing killings, disappearances, torture and oppression against opposition political parties. Therefore, this revolution is not of a single person or a single group.

Kajal: The main issue that BNP wants to reform is constitutional reform. BNP has already formed a constitutional reform committee. I was a member of this seven-member committee. This committee has talked about 67 reforms. In the past, the Prime Minister has abused her exclusive power. Therefore, BNP wants a balance to be established between the power of the President and the Prime Minister. Secondly, in the existing political culture of the country, there is no provision for intellectuals from different classes and professions of the society, including academicians and doctors, to participate in the administration of the state. For this reason, BNP has proposed a bicameral parliament. Thirdly, to get rid of the authoritarian attitude, the same person cannot be the Prime Minister for more than two consecutive terms. Fourthly, BNP is talking about reforms to strengthen the Election Commission.

Above all, the 31-point reform proposals announced by the BNP are also very timely. Keeping these proposals in mind, it is possible to reorganize all sectors of the country in a corruption-free and impartial manner in the coming days.

Kajal: The main responsibility of the interim government is to transfer power to the political government through elections. In the current context, the country’s largest political party, BNP, is expecting an electoral roadmap from this government. Since the beginning of the government’s journey, BNP has been saying that they want to give the government a reasonable time for some reforms. The reasonable time is different for each period. For example, the trust that the people initially had in the first-eleven governments, was eroded after two years. Many of the people in charge of that government were involved in various corruption and irregularities. I am expressing my fear that if the tenure of the current interim government is prolonged, a lust for power may arise among many individuals and institutions related to the government. Corruption may enter many. Therefore, the reform proposals that have been made should be finalized as soon as possible and elections should be organized.

The interim government will not be able to make any constitutional reforms. They are walking beside the constitution. The only constitutional basis of the government is Article 106 of the constitution. Where the Supreme Court has the power to give advisory advice. Therefore, the interim government is being run according to the advice of the Supreme Court. Apart from this, this government has no other legal basis. Therefore, the sooner the interim government moves towards elections, the sooner it will be able to fulfill the expectations of the people.

Kajal: Apart from these two, false cases have been filed against about 5 million BNP leaders and workers during Hasina’s tenure. Leaders and workers from village to ward level could not escape the sword of false cases. Begum Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman were Sheikh Hasina’s main opponents. Now they are being acquitted from these cases one after another. This proves that all the cases were politically motivated.

Kajal: The memories of the undemocratic and apolitical ‘Minus Two’ during the unelected government of 1-11 are still fresh in the minds of the people. If any unconstitutional, cunning plan is still hatched by anyone, the people will not allow it to be implemented.

Kajal: Currently, the largest political party in the country is BNP. People think that if the elections are held now, BNP will win and come to power alone. Those who are worried about BNP’s political future or those who want to share in BNP’s success will naturally try to stop this trend of BNP. For this reason, Tarique Rahman has spoken of a challenge to warn his leaders and workers.

Kajal: BNP is a political party of the people and the people. BNP’s organizational base extends to the grassroots level. The biggest strength beyond BNP’s political power is the personal integrity of martyred President Ziaur Rahman, the people’s respect for him and Begum Khaleda Zia, and the trust of leaders and workers of all levels of the party in Tarique Rahman. BNP, strong in the trust of the party and the people of the country in them, is ready for elections at any time. If there was no preparation, BNP would not have talked about elections constantly. In any election held in a democratic environment, the people of the country will express their trust in BNP through a voting revolution.

Kajal: The demand for justice against Sheikh Hasina and those of the previous government who were involved in the July-August massacre is universal. The accused or accused person must be tried in front of the court through a universal trial process. This process will not be deviated from in the case of Sheikh Hasina’s trial. We knew that Begum Khaleda Zia did not steal any orphan’s money. But still, Begum Khaleda Zia has to appear in court day after day in a political harassment case. It is natural for an accused person to be present in the court’s judicial process.

Kajal: The most important thing for establishing fundamental human rights, human rights, and the rule of law is the independence of the judiciary. An independent judiciary is our constitutional foundation. Although it is stated in the constitution, no one has implemented it so far. Whatever was implemented was during Begum Khaleda Zia’s tenure. The Mazder Hossain case regarding the separation of the judiciary started towards the end of Begum Khaleda Zia’s last tenure. In the current government, the Law Ministry, especially Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refaat Ahmed, has taken steps to completely free the judiciary from the influence of the Law Ministry. The Law Ministry has also responded positively. They have started working to bring the judicial administration completely under the Supreme Court.

Kajal: The people of Bangladesh want permanent freedom from the stagnation, mismanagement and misrule that have plagued them for a long time. The government has formed several reform commissions. As soon as possible, the reform proposals should be finalized through a thorough review based on the consensus of the country’s active political parties and left for the implementation of the next elected government. Because the interim government does not have the power and rationale to give a constitutional legal framework to the reforms.

The deadline for submitting the proposals of the commissions is coming to an end. A consensus on the reform proposals must be reached within the next one to two months. The Election Commission has already been formed. Their job will be to update the voter list and hold elections as soon as possible. The Anti-Corruption Commission has been formed. Their job will be to immediately bring Hasina and her government’s cronies to justice. In this case, my proposal is to try major corruption cases through a summary trial, if necessary.

The trial process of Hasina and her associates and those who took a stand against the mass uprising of the students and the public has begun in ICT. These trials must be completed as soon as possible and an example must be set. Otherwise, there will be disappointment among the people regarding the spirit of August 5. I think it is possible to complete these tasks within the next six months and hold elections within three-quarters of 2025.

Thank you very much for giving us your time.