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The 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami has announced a four-day protest programme calling for the implementation of the referendum results.
Alliance leader Maulana Mamunul Haque said that the 11-party programme will kick off with leaflet distribution at Shahbagh on Apr 9. Protest marches will be held in Upazilas and Thanas across the country on Apr 11, protest rallies and processions in all districts on Apr 12, and a seminar in favour of implementing the referendum verdict will be held in Dhaka on Apr 13, reports bdnews24.com.
This is the second political programme at the field level held by the opposition following the 13th general election.
"BNP is ignoring the interim government's reform decisions. The 11-party alliance will continue its agitation on the streets until the referendum verdict is implemented," Mamunul said at a press briefing at Al-Falah Auditorium in Moghbazar on Tuesday.
Jamaat's Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad said that the 11-party alliance has decided to prepare for a continuous movement, as no decision was taken in parliament regarding the implementation of the referendum verdict.
Senior leaders of the alliance were present at the briefing.
The “July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order” was issued during the interim government, setting out how the 48 constitutional reform proposals of the charter would be implemented. A referendum was held on Feb 12, the day of the parliamentary elections, to obtain the people's mandate to implement these reform proposals.
After the “Yes” vote won the referendum, the members of the current parliament were to serve as members of the Constitutional Reform Council, as per the “July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order”. Like the parliament, the first session of the council was supposed to be convened within 30 calendar days of the declaration of the results of the parliamentary elections.
Although members of the opposition parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami and National Citizen Party (NCP), took two oaths, BNP MPs did not take theirs as members of the Constitution Reform Council. Hence, the Constitution Reform Council was not formed on time.
On Mar 29, Leader of the Opposition Shafiqur Rahman gave a notice to raise an adjournment motion on a matter of public importance under Rule 62 of the Rules of Procedure.
The opposition walked out of parliament on Apr 1, alleging that it had not received a “solution” to the adjournment motion.
The next day, Thursday, the Jamaat-e-Islami led alliance held a meeting and on Apr 4, another protest programme and rally were held in Dhaka.