Justice and reforms must be completed before election: NCP

Sarwar Tushar, Joint Convenor of the National Citizens Party (NCP), has urged that justice and reforms be fully completed before holding any elections. Speaking in response to the joint statement from a recent London meeting, he said, “We have always maintained that reforms cannot be left for the next parliament. The responsibility for reforms must not be handed over after elections. How reforms will be implemented is open for discussion.”

Tushar made these remarks following the meeting between Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus and BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in London on Friday.

Stressing the urgency, he added, “There is no historical or procedural basis for the elected parliament to carry out reforms. Instead, the parliament must be formed after reforms are completed. This reflects the historic mandate of the July popular uprising.”

He also emphasized the need to honor the July declaration and charter by creating legal frameworks to ensure their enforcement. To guarantee free and fair elections, Tushar said the Election Commission must be restructured. The possibility of setting an election date depends on the resolution of these issues.

Earlier, BNP’s Acting Chairman proposed holding elections before Ramadan next year during a meeting with Dr. Yunus. CA Yunus said that if preparations are complete, elections could be held as early as the week before Ramadan in 2026. This timeline, however, requires significant progress on reforms and justice.