EU envoy meets Mirza Fakhrul

European Union (EU) Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller on Thursday paid a courtesy call on BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at the party chairperson's Gulshan office.

BNP Standing Committee member and Chairperson's Foreign Affairs Advisory Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Organizing Secretary and Chairperson's Special Assistant on Foreign Policy Advisory Committee Shama Obaid were present.

After the meeting, Amir Khasru told reporters that the BNP will present reform proposals to the interim government on Sunday.

"There was extensive discussion on various political, economic and foreign issues. The Reform Commission's efforts to create a consensus were also discussed. Some have disagreements here among political parties. We think that those who believe in democracy should not have disagreements," he said.

He said, "We will move forward with the reforms where there is consensus. And on the issues that will not be there, be it constitutional, election-centric or any other issue - each party will take it to the people during the election, present it in front of them, then come to the parliament after being elected and pass it after discussion and debate. Our discussion went roughly like this."

Stating that the country will be on the right track if elections are held by December, the senior BNP leader said, "Everyone has assumed that there is no scope of delaying elections after December. Many are already saying that December is too late. But even then, December has been taken as the 'cut-off time'. Everyone believes that if elections are held by December, we will be on the right track."

He said, "It is very important to bring back democracy. We have struggled for 17 years to restore the ownership of the people. Elections are the only way to do that."