BNP on Saturday began talks with political parties that waged a simultaneous movement with it against the Awami League regime to consolidate unity and seek their opinions on the next general election.

The fresh round of talks with all its allied political parties started with the first meeting of the 12-party alliance leaders.

BNP liaison committee members, headed by party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, participated in the meeting, which began around 4 pm.

The party will also hold meetings with other like-mined parties and alliances in the days to come. 

A party Standing Committee member said they would discuss the country’s latest political situation and seek the opinions of the alliance partners regarding the upcoming election, the government’s reform initiatives and the Chief Adviser’s probable election roadmap.

He said they would work out their next course of action based on the suggestions of their like-minded political parties.

The BNP leader said they also planned to focus on further strengthening their unity and convey a message to the alliance partners to speak in unison to mount pressure on the government to hold the national election as soon as possible, without unnecessary delays.

He said they would also discuss the ongoing efforts by those involved in the anti-discrimination movement to form a political party, the "Jatiya Nagorik Committee."

The BNP leader expressed concerns that the government might try to schedule the election for 2026, giving the "Jatiya Nagorik Committee" enough time to organise itself. "We have no objection if anyone launches a political party. But we do object if any party is formed under the patronage of the interim government and the state. We also oppose any delay in the election solely to provide a party with space to organise under the pretext of reforms."

BNP Standing Committee members Nazrul Islam Khan, Selima Rahman and BNP Vice-Chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo also attended the meeting.

Later, the party is also scheduled to hold meetings with the leaders of Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote, LDP and the Labour Party today.

Earlier on December 16, Chief Adviser Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus indicated that the 13th National Parliamentary Election might be scheduled for the end of 2025 or the first half of 2026.

A day later, his Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam, clarified that the next general election could be expected to take place by June 30, 2026.

"He (CA) has provided a timeline. What could be a clearer roadmap than this? You can expect the election to be held by June 30, 2026. This is a clear roadmap," he said while briefing reporters at the Foreign Service Academy.