BNP senior joint secretary general Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed has said that national elections must be held before local elections.

He also said any delay could raise questions about the legitimacy of the interim government.

Rizvi made the remarks while speaking at a roundtable organized by the Institute of Architects on Saturday (February 15).

In the event, Rizvi termed the election process of the past 17 years "deeply flawed and manipulated."

He expressed dismay over what he described as state-controlled elections, where power was used to ensure one-sided victories. 

He pointed to instances of vote-rigging, intimidation of voters, and election-day irregularities, including preventing opposition candidates from submitting nominations and barring voters from polling stations.

Rizvi further alleged that elections were marred by systematic suppression, with opposition leaders and activists facing false cases, arrests, and violent attacks.

Ehsanul Haque Huda, Ithun Babu, and Ahsan Uddin Khan Shipon, among others, attended the discussion.

BDST: 1430 HRS, FEB 15, 2025
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