Amir Khasru demands elections in reasonable timeframe

Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, a member of the BNP's Standing Committee, has called for elections to be held in a "logical timeframe."

He mentioned that the party has not specified a particular deadline for this.

The BNP leader also expressed full support for the current interim government.

On Thursday morning, after a meeting with Russian Ambassador Alexander Vikentyevich Mantytskiy at the party chairperson's office in Gulshan, Amir Khasru briefed journalists.

The BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and International Affairs Committee member Shama Obaid were also present at the meeting.

Following the meeting, Amir Khasru told reporters: "The discussions covered business trade, investment, scientific cooperation, energy, and cultural cooperation between the two countries. They inquired about the current situation and our thoughts on overcoming this crisis in the future.

“We clarified that the BNP believes in maintaining relations with everyone. We do not view any particular country or entity differently… We will maintain relations with all countries, and there will be relations between the people of Bangladesh and Russia, and between the two countries. I discussed cooperation in various fields including business trade."

He mentioned that discussions also took place regarding tourism cooperation with Russia, reports Prothom Alo. 

"Russia is a vast country with tourism opportunities. They may be considering opening an office here… and possibly establishing a bank branch in the future… We welcomed this."

Amir Khasru added: "Regarding the current situation in Bangladesh… and elections, they asked about it. We have already made our position clear that the interim government should transfer power to an elected government through elections as soon as possible."

Regarding the elections, the BNP leader said: "They inquired about the timeframe… We did not provide a specific timeframe. We said that we fully support the interim government and its activities. The reforms that need to be discussed should be completed as quickly as possible to ensure a fair election within a set timeframe."

He stated: "Naturally, everyone wants to know the current and future positions. Detailed discussions took place on these issues. Whether the current relationships will continue into the future… Our stance is that relations will remain fully intact. Our relationships will advance, and we will maintain relations with all countries. We do not prioritize any country selectively."

Amir Khasru concluded, "The BNP’s foreign policy is to maintain good relations with everyone and leverage the comparative advantages between two countries. We want to utilize the comparative advantages available in Bangladesh. Relations between the two countries should be mutually beneficial, based on mutual respect and mutual benefit… These topics were discussed in our meeting."