All 3 major parties backed Yunus' leadership: press secretary

All three major political parties reiterated their confidence in the leadership of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and expressed their support for a free, fair, and peaceful election under his administration, said CA's press secretary Shafiqul Alam today.

Speaking to reporters after a series of high-level political meetings, the spokesperson said, "All parties assured the chief adviser of their full support. They said they have faith in his leadership. Some leaders also mentioned that despite media speculation about his resignation, they believe the entire nation stands behind him and are requesting that he hold credible elections under his stewardship."

The first two meetings were attended by the adviser on local government affairs.

According to the press secretary, BNP has proposed holding the national election in December, while Jamaat-e-Islami argued that reforms would take until the end of the year to be fully implemented.

"In response, the chief adviser told all three parties that the national election will be held sometime between December and June. Both Jamaat and the National Citizen Party (NCP) supported this proposed timeframe," Shafiqul said.

On the issue of the Election Commission, Jamaat and NCP expressed concern about the current electoral environment, stating that they do not believe a level playing field exists under the present structure. They called for comprehensive reform of the Election Commission to ensure fairness.

Professor Ali Riaz, vice-chair of the National Consensus Commission, has said the reform process is expected to conclude by mid-July, and a "July Charter" will be adopted thereafter. "Work is underway to finalise the document," said Shafiqul.

The CA also confirmed that the trial of the July killings will begin later this month.

"The political parties have called on the chief adviser to ensure a transparent trial that follows all due processes," he added.

Asked whether the ongoing crisis would be resolved, the press secretary replied, "I'm not sure what crisis you are referring to. What I can say is that today's meetings were held in a very cordial atmosphere, with the participation of three major political parties."

He further informed that the NCP has called for local government elections and demanded that all local polls held under the previous Awami League government be declared invalid.

"All messages came directly from the political parties," Shafiqul noted. "They extended their unreserved support for the chief adviser's leadership."

During the meeting with BNP, Yunus reaffirmed his commitment to holding elections between December and June. "He is a man of his word -- what he says, he does," Shafiqul said.

Asked about BNP's demand for the resignation of advisers, the press secretary said the CA took note of the issue.

Regarding the possibility of a detailed election roadmap, Shafiqul said, "Dr Yunus has repeatedly stated that the election will be held between December and June. He reiterated this in today's meetings and is likely to do so again in future dialogues. June 30 is the final cut-off—he won't go beyond that."