BNP Chairperson’s Adviser Zainul Abedin Farroque has said that the recent remarks of Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus are making the country’s overall situation unstable and creating concerns over the upcoming election.

During his visit to the United Nations General Assembly, Yunus gave an interview to journalist Mehdi Hasan, founder of JTO. In the interview, he said: “There are various opinions among the people about the holding of elections. Some even say this government should stay for 5 years, 10 years, or even 50 years. But we have decided to hold the election in the first half of February.”

Speaking at a meeting organized by the Senbagh Forum, Dhaka, at the National Press Club on Thursday, Farroque termed this statement an “attempt to stay in power for five years.”

He alleged, “While staying on the UN tour, Dr Muhammad Yunus told the media that people want to see him in power for five years. His statement is creating a threat to the political stability of the country.”

Farroque added, “In the last one year, the country’s security and economic situation have been deteriorating. In such a situation, such a statement from Dr Yunus is calling the election process into question.”

The BNP leader further alleged that Jamaat-e-Islami is procrastinating over the election.

He also protested the mocking of the Chief Adviser at a Puja Mandap in Kolkata, saying, “Such activities by India amount to interference in the democracy of Bangladesh.”

Farroque also criticized the incident of egg-throwing at leaders of the National Citizen Party (NCP) in the United States.

He added, “There is unrest in the hills, and there were conspiracies centring Durga Puja. Even though these matters were not taken into consideration, the conspiracies behind them are clear. However, I do not think anyone has succeeded in conspiring against Bangladesh. The main forces creating unrest in the country are Awami League and India.”

The meeting was presided over by Lion ABM Farooq, president of Senbagh Forum, Dhaka. The organization’s General Secretary Md Mozammel Hossain Selim and others were also present.