DHAKA, Jan 13, 2025 (BSS)- An emergency meeting of the Standing Committee of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was held this evening at its Party Chairperson’s political office at Gulshan.

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman presided over the meeting virtually from London.
 
The meeting sources said the issues of the next election and other political matters came in the discussion. Party's high command gave opinion for holding the national election in the middle of this year.

BNP leaders observed that thinking of holding local government election before the national poll is just a wastage of time, the meeting source said.

The interim government should organize the national elections in the middle of this year according to the people's wishes and leave the matter of local government poll for the next elected government.

Sources said that BNP leaders will bring the demand of holding elections ahead of the schedule of the interim government through meetings and seminars.

The meeting expressed concern over the hike of VAT, tax and duty on more than a hundred goods and services in the middle of the fiscal year.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will address a press conference to inform the people about the decisions of the meeting.

The press conference will be held at the BNP Chairperson's political office in Gulshan tomorrow afternoon.

The meeting expressed satisfaction over the continuous improvement of Begum Khaleda Zia's health condition.

Standing committee members Dr. Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Barrister Zamir Uddin Sirkar, Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir (secretary general), Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salauddin Ahmed, Begum Selima Rahman, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed were present in the meeting.

Standing committee member Mirza Abbas and Professor Dr AZM Zahid Hossain joined the meeting virtually from London.