BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed has urged the government to hold the upcoming national election and a proposed referendum on reform issues simultaneously, saying it would prevent attempts to delay the election.

“If the parliamentary election and the referendum are held on the same day, any attempt to stall the election can be avoided. The real challenge is not holding the election, but those trying to delay it,” he said while speaking at a discussion titled “Challenges and Prospects of a Quality and Acceptable Election” organised by Nagorik Jubo Oikya at the National Press Club.

Salahuddin dismissed concerns that casting two ballots on the same day could confuse voters, noting that people already vote with two or three ballots in local government, upazila and city corporation elections.

He called on the government to empower the Election Commission through an ordinance or amendments to the Representation of the People Order (RPO) to facilitate a simultaneous referendum, which he said would be more cost-effective and logistically efficient.

He accused vested groups of creating confusion over issues such as the Proportional 

Representation system and the proposed referendum to push the country toward an unstable government system.

“Those attempting to complicate matters should act wisely. People are not swayed by pictures of fascist processions or messages from abroad,” he added.

On election security, Salahuddin said the government plans to deploy around 1,00,000 Bangladesh Army personnel to support the police, alongside trained Ansar and auxiliary forces, for the likely February elections.

He emphasised that voters will play the key role in ensuring a free, fair and credible election, while the role of law enforcement will remain limited if political and administrative neutrality is maintained.

Salahuddin also warned that defeated fascist forces are trying to prevent a transparent election and called on anti-fascist parties to remain united to counter such threats.  He opposed any executive-order ban on political parties, describing such a move as “atrocious” and saying BNP would never accept it.