BEI 
BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed has said the political parties should maintain strong unity keeping differences aside.
Even if we have differences among ourselves-differences in ideology, in political strategy, or even election-related issue-based differences-we must preserve the anti-fascist national unity,” the BNP leader said.
He made these remarks on Saturday while speaking at a seminar at Gulshan Lake Shore in the capital. The roundtable discussion titled “The Future of Democratic Bangladesh: People’s Thoughts and Expectations” was organized by the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI).
Salahuddin Ahmed said, “If we want a stable state-our state is now 54 years old-we need national unity so that this state endures forever, for an infinite period, with its independence intact.”
He further said, “The July mass uprising gave us an opportunity to create national unity, and we embraced it. The anti-fascist national unity that has been formed-that will be the only political force of our state. We must keep that force strong. Even if we have differences-ideological differences, political or strategic differences, or election-related issue-based differences-we must preserve the anti-fascist national unity. We must not bring division here.”
He also said, “Now some are saying clouds are appearing in the northeast sky. A couple of political parties are making different statements to pursue their political positions, advantages, or any purpose. I welcome those statements. As their democratic right, they can do so, and I welcome it. But I believe that, at the end of the day, in the interest of national unity, and in the interest of preventing the resurgence of fascism, they will all return to the democratic path-that is our expectation.”
The BNP leader said, “If we do not bring change in our political culture, then in the future democratic practice will be the same as before-which is not what we want. Therefore, we must introduce a democratic political culture that aligns with people’s expectations and the spirit of the mass uprising. Through the practice of such a culture, fascist political decadence must be eradicated from Bangladesh. But this struggle will not end in a single day. No culture can be established overnight, but it can be started. And through its introduction and practice, we are moving forward.”
He said, “Political parties will always have differences-differences of opinion, ideological differences, strategy-based differences in elections. There will be various speeches and statements based on strategy. We must be tolerant to this. With mutual compassion and a cordial environment, we will face these with our own arguments. That is democratic culture. We are witnessing this practice both from our side and from other parties. A senior politician may see clouds in the northeast, but I personally see no clouds there. Expecting revolutionary change overnight is expecting too much. In the meetings of the National Consensus Commission, every participant argued and debated, but never was the cordial or warm environment disrupted.”
Salahuddin Ahmed said, “What is the objective of the ’24 mass uprising? Everyone will agree in one sentence: establishing the rights of the people of Bangladesh-that is the objective of our uprising.”
On the interim government issue, he said, “The current government is a hundred percent legitimate government. And constitutionally legitimate. If we raise questions, we will drag the government towards illegitimacy. That will never be pleasant for the stability of the state, and such questions are irrelevant.”
“What is implied by raising questions about the state’s constitutional process, the constitutional legitimacy of the government?”-Salahuddin Ahmed posed this question.