Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary has warned the government to announce and hold national elections by February otherwise country may face a “civil war-like situation.”

“The country is heading toward a dangerous turning point. Announce elections by February; if you fail to do so and unrest breaks out later, the responsibility will rest on your shoulders,” Patwary said while addressing a discussion titled “The Present and Future Path of Politics” at Dhaka Reporters Unity. Patwary also demanded that the Consensus Commission’s draft recommendations be made public, saying the next step now depends on Dr. Muhammad Yunus.

“The Consensus Commission has already prepared its recommendations. Now the ball is in Dr. Yunus’s court. He is seen as an international player, but in Bangladesh the field is slippery and our Law Adviser only makes it slicker. He wants politicians to slip. Make the draft public; once it’s released, NCP will sign it,” he said.

Emphasizing the need for clarity in national politics, Patwary said Bangladesh cannot move forward amid “confusion and uncertainty.” He termed the ongoing debate over whether a referendum should be held before or after the elections a “pointless dispute” between Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP. “They must move beyond such sophistry and cooperate with the Election Commission,” he added.

Commenting on BNP’s political stance, Patwary noted, “BNP was born through a ‘Yes’ vote. If the party remains fixated on a ‘No’ vote, its political end will also come through a ‘No’ vote. BNP is a major political force and we urge them not to write their own obituary through stubborn rejection.”

Regarding Jamaat-e-Islami, Patwari said the party had caused confusion by misrepresenting the issue of the upper and lower houses. “Ultimately, Jamaat will join hands with BNP over the referendum issue. Both parties are wasting time in futile debates that only deepen political uncertainty,” .

Sun News/ra