Bangladesh, July 29 -- BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has dismissed claims that his party is wary of reforms, saying that it welcomes them. However, he believes "the problem lies elsewhere".

"The problem is that all these new ideas are being brought in, but our country and our nation are not familiar with them," Fakhrul said at a discussion at Dhaka's Jatiya Press Club on Tuesday.

Praising the National Consensus Commission, he said: "We are very happy when we see positive news in the newspaper. Our brother [Asaduzzaman] Ripon only says negative things. He does not see anything good. But I see a few good things.

"I see the good because, today, I saw in the newspaper that all the parties have come together to agree on ...