Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman today said those who are making evil efforts to mislead the people by raising question whether election is needed first or reform, they have different purposes.
 
"BNP has no discord with the interim government over reform programme. Those, who are making ill efforts to mislead the people by raising question whether election is needed first or reform, have different purposes," he said.
 
Tarique Rahman was addressing virtually the annual general meeting of Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) held at Jatiya Press Club here with DUJ President Md Shahidul Islam in the chair.
 
He said BNP was first to place a 27-point state reform proposals in 2022 and later it announced 31-point proposals after holding talks with other democratic political parties.
 
BNP's 31-point proposals included formation of a media commission comprising retired judge of the Supreme Court and experienced journalists.
 
"The interim government has formed a media reform commission. So, BNP has no disagreement with the interim government over the reform programme," he said.
 
Tarique Rahman said BNP believes that reform is an ongoing process and it is not a matter to end. If anyone initiates a reform, another one takes the process ahead, he added.
 
Without qualitative improvement of democratic political culture, reform cannot be effective, he said.
 
Tarique Rahman said if people's hassle of everyday life is not removed, the cherished outcome of reforms cannot be achieved.
 
The BNP acting chairman demanded a free, fair and neutral election within a logical time side by side with reforms.
 
He said it is a reality that the mass uprising happened not only for an election. On the other hand, there is another cruel reality that the previous Awami League regime was able to establish fascism by forming a government repeatedly without holding elections to deprive people from their political and other rights.
 
"In democratic political practice to establish people's rights, election is of course a prime issue. It won't be a realistic political thinking that if election is considered as the purpose of going to power for a single party only. Rather people get scope to practice their political rights through an election," he said.
 
At the same time, relationship of ownership between the people and the government is established through practicing voting rights, he added.
 
Tarique Rahman underscored the need for empowering people politically to keep a state and a government away from the clutch of fascism.