Tawhidul Islam, Cox's Bazar 

Considering the environmental situation, it will not be possible to arrange the national parliamentary elections next April, remarked Salahuddin Ahmed, a member of the BNP’s National Standing Committee. He stated that arrangements must be made to hold the national elections by December this year.

He said that considering Bangladesh's environmental conditions, weather, public examinations, and the holy month of Ramadan, it is by no means an appropriate time for national elections. During that period, public examinations are held across the country, meaning no educational institutions can be used for electoral purposes. It is also logical that no election campaign can take place while public examinations are ongoing. Since there is a 45-day period after the announcement of the election schedule, half of Ramadan would overlap with this timeframe, making it impossible to conduct elections then.

He made these remarks on Monday evening while visiting the Cox's Bazar District BNP office and exchanging Eid greetings with party leaders and activists.

Commenting on the issue of ports and corridors as a matter of national interest and state affairs, Salahuddin Ahmed told reporters in response to a question that there is no room for personal opinion here. These are matters of state and national interest. Such decisions can only be taken by a political government based on national consensus. A temporary or unelected government has no jurisdiction to make such decisions.

At the time, BNP Central Fisheries Affairs Secretary and former Member of Parliament Lutfur Rahman Kajal, Cox's Bazar District BNP President Shahjahan Chowdhury, General Secretary Advocate Shamim Ara Swapna, and other party leaders and activists were present.

Later in the evening, he left for Dhaka via Cox's Bazar Airport after speaking to journalists at the district BNP office. He was scheduled to return to Dhaka the same night.

Earlier on Monday afternoon, Salahuddin Ahmed inaugurated a newly constructed party office in the Pekua Upazila headquarters. Following the inauguration, he addressed a party gathering there as the chief guest.

Afterwards, the local former Member of Parliament and former State Minister for Communications, Salahuddin Ahmed, visited the grave of Waseem Akram, the second martyr of the July-August uprising. He offered prayers at the grave and later met with the family members of the martyr to inquire about their well-being and exchanged pleasantries.