For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
The 11-party opposition alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami has threatened to take to the streets unless the government arranges for the “Constitution Reform Council” to convene by Sunday.
Speaking at a press conference held at Jamaat’s central office in Dhaka's Moghbazar on Saturday, alliance coordinator and Jamaat leader Hamidur Rahman Azad said: “Tomorrow is the last day for the government to communicate its decision.”
The winners of the 13th parliamentary election took the oath as members of parliament on Feb 17, reports bdnews24.com. On that day, those elected from the Jamaat-led alliance also took the oath as members of the Constitution Reform Council.
But BNP’s elected lawmakers refrained from taking that oath, saying the Constitution Reform Council is not incorporated into the Constitution.
The new parliament began its journey on Thursday. On that day, after the election of the speaker and deputy speaker, the formation of the panel of chairpersons, the business advisory committee and several other committees, and the president’s address, the sitting was adjourned.
Members of the Jamaat-led opposition alliance staged a walkout over the president’s speech.
The adjourned sitting will resume on Sunday. Ahead of that, the opposition alliance has renewed its demand for a session of the Constitution Reform Council to be convened.
“If the government does not arrange by tomorrow for the Constitution Council session to be called, if no initiative is taken by tomorrow to convene the sitting, we will be compelled to take to street protests with the people,” Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Azad said.
He added that a meeting of top leaders would be called soon to announce protest programmes.
The Jamaat alliance coordinator also alleged that the government had recently been using public appointments to implement a partisan agenda.
Responding to questions from journalists, he said: “There is a history regarding before and after Eid. I do not want to go there today. I am not specifying dates, but Eid is ahead, that is a reality.
“Many of our leaders have gone for Umrah. There is no opportunity to sit before Eid. There has been preliminary discussion about holding a meeting of top leaders on the 28th of March.”
A referendum was held alongside the parliamentary election on Feb 12. Jamaat has since been demanding implementation of the verdict of that referendum on enforcing the July National Charter.
After a year of discussion, dialogue and debate, the charter on state reform initiatives was finalised and signed on Oct 17 last year. But sharp disagreements emerged among the parties over how the July Charter should be implemented.
Then, on Nov 13 last year, an order was issued for implementation of the July Charter, setting the referendum to be held on the same day as the parliamentary polls.
That order said if “Yes” won in the referendum, a council would be formed comprising the winners of the subsequent parliamentary election, and that body would be able to exercise all powers relating to constitutional reform.
For that reason, elected MPs would also take a separate oath as members of the Constitution Reform Council.
Since BNP lawmakers did not take oath as members of the reform council, the Jamaat alliance has been accusing the party of not wanting to implement the July Charter.
Explaining on Mar 2 why BNP lawmakers had not taken oath for the Constitution Reform Council, BNP Standing Committee member and Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said: “None of us was elected as a member of the Constitution Reform Council, and it has not yet been incorporated into the Constitution.
“If the Constitution Reform Council is to be formed in line with the referendum verdict, it must first be incorporated into the Constitution, and there must be a provision for who will administer the oath to its members. There is no such form in the Constitution.”