BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman has urged the interim government not to take any steps that would allow fugitive allies of the fallen regime to be rehabilitated in the state and politics.

"By turning minor issues into major ones in the country's political arena, doubts and suspicions have been created or are being created knowingly or unknowingly ... ," Tarique said while addressing an iftar event virtually yesterday.

BNP organised the iftar event in honour of working professionals at the Ladies Club in the city's Eskaton.

"The allies of the fallen autocrat still hold thousands of crores of taka looted from the state and the people. In such a situation, holding local polls before the national polls would mean creating an opportunity to rehabilitate these fugitive fascists back into politics," he added.

BNP leader Tarique claimed that the way reforms and elections have been pitted against each other now is undoubtedly "politically motivated".

"To those who argue that national elections should be held only after reforms are completed, I would like to say -- what would be completed are not reforms... Reforms are never-ending, continuous process…," he said.

The BNP acting chief said over the past one and a half decades of "mafia rule", nearly 35 million young voters have been deprived of their right to vote.

Holding the national election must be the first step in ensuring their political empowerment, he added.

Presiding over the programme, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir urged everyone "to act with caution".

"We believe that at this moment, wherever we are, we must act responsibly. Those of us in politics, in different professions, connected to the government and the people -- we must all speak and act in a way that makes the path to democratic progress smoother," he said.

He emphasised that to tackle the ongoing problems, crises, and challenges, holding elections as soon as possible is crucial.

"The wisest task now will be to complete the necessary reforms to hold the elections.

"Our appeal to the people is that during this transitional period, we must all move forward with patience and peace," he said.