Speaking to reporters after an election meeting in Parul Union of Pirgachha Upazila in Rangpur on Wednesday (November 12) afternoon, Akhtar Hossain said the NCP is preparing to contest all 300 seats in the upcoming national elections. However, he added that the party remains open to forming alliances in the national interest.
“We are preparing for the elections with our own strength and resources,” Akhtar said. “But if taking Bangladesh forward requires unity in the national interest, we are ready to join an alliance. Discussions are ongoing with several political parties, though no final decision has been made yet. Still, we are fully prepared to contest independently if necessary.”
Regarding candidate selection, the NCP leader stated, “We want to nominate candidates across the country who genuinely care about the people. An election committee has already been formed and is distributing nomination papers. Many qualified candidates have collected their forms. After verification and selection, the preliminary list of candidates will be announced after November 15.”
When asked about the party’s stance on the upcoming referendum and the implementation of the July National Charter, Akhtar said, “The most crucial issue now is the proper issuance of the order to implement the July Charter. It’s still unclear how the government will issue this order and what it will include. If the order is issued properly, the ongoing crisis can be resolved, and the referendum issue will be settled accordingly.”
He added, “Whether the referendum is held on election day or before it will not make much difference if the July Charter is implemented correctly. However, if the order is flawed, even the referendum will not be able to sustain the process. We hope the government will act quickly, issue the order properly, and take a stand in favor of the people.”
Earlier, addressing the courtyard meeting, Akhtar Hossain said that the biggest concern before the upcoming national election is the non-implementation of the July Charter. He warned that if this issue is not resolved beforehand, the legitimacy of the election could come into question. For that reason, the NCP supports holding a referendum before the polls.
