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Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Mia Golam Porwar, has alleged that the government is deliberately steering the country towards a deep political and constitutional crisis by ignoring what he described as the people’s verdict in a referendum.
He said the referendum verdict is being denied under the cover of the July Charter. “This is not just a political strategy, but a stance directly against the people's mandate,” he said, UNB reports.
He made the remarks while speaking at a seminar titled “Government against Referendum Verdict: A Country Facing Crisis,” organized by Khulna Metropolitan Jamaat-e-Islami at the Banquet Hall of Khulna Press Club on Saturday.
Golam Porwar further alleged that the government is deliberately creating confusion in the public mind by separating the July Charter from the referendum verdict.
He claimed that the government and its ministers have repeatedly promised to implement the July Charter in Parliament, but are maintaining silence on the direct verdict given by the people in the referendum.
Mentioning that 47 out of the 84 proposals for constitutional reform involve legal and constitutional changes, Porwar said that although there is consensus on these issues, BNP has given a note of dissent on 10 important points, which, in reality, weakens the overall structure of the reform.
He consistently stated that the issues on which BNP has raised objections include: the Prime Minister not being allowed to serve as party leader simultaneously; refusal to accept the proportional representation (PR) system in the upper house; non-compliance with the obligation to present and ratify international treaties in Parliament; opposition to an independent commission for the appointment of judges; and rejection of proposals to reduce the influence of the Prime Minister in the Public Service Commission and the Anti-Corruption Commission.
He said, “If these 10 points are left out, the entire reform becomes meaningless. The government actually wants to maintain its control in these areas.”
He stressed that the verdict reached through the direct participation of about 5 crore people in the referendum is stronger than the delegated power of Parliament. “Members of Parliament are representatives of the people; they exercise delegated power. But in a referendum, the people make decisions directly. Denying that decision means denying the sovereignty of the people.”
Referring to Article 7 of the Constitution, he said that the will of the people is the supreme law. “Parliament never has absolute power.”
He described the current position of the government as authoritarian and fascistic. He said, “The verdict of the people is being denied by the power of the majority. This is not democracy, but a sign of fascism.”
He warned that if this trend continues, a situation of conflict, instability, and bloodshed may arise again in the country.
The Jamaat Secretary General clearly stated that if the referendum verdict is not implemented in Parliament, those concerned will be forced to take to the streets. “If the verdict given by 5 crore people is not implemented in Parliament, we will go back to the people. A movement is the only way,” he said.
He called on the government to return to implement the referendum verdict.
However, he warned that time is running out. “There is still a chance. If we want to avoid a crisis, we have to respect the mandate of the people. Otherwise, the government will have to take responsibility,” he said.