Opposition Leader and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has said that the opposition prefer comprehensive constitutional reform through a parliamentary special committee rather than partial amendments to the existing Constitution.
He said the party would participate in the process only if the government presents a clear proposal for forming a constitutional reform commission.
He made the remarks on Tuesday during a meeting with parliamentary reporters at the LD Hall of the National Parliament building.
Opposition Deputy Leader Abdullah Mohammad Taher, Chief Whip Nahid Islam and other MPs were present.
Shafiqur Rahman said the “July Charter” must be implemented in Parliament, otherwise it would be enforced through street movements.
He said the opposition would neither act as a “soft opposition” nor a “hard opposition,” but would play a rational role in the interest of the people.
He said the opposition has submitted parliamentary notices on several key issues, including implementation of a referendum verdict, the banking sector crisis, problems faced by expatriates, and border push-in incidents.
Although a proposal was made to form a parliamentary task force to address expatriate issues, he said the government has yet to take a decision.
Criticising budget management, the opposition leader said that although the national budget was expected in March, a supplementary budget is now being passed in June, involving expenditure of around Tk56,000 crore.
He said such rushed spending at the end of the fiscal year increases the risk of waste and irregularities, and suggested shifting the fiscal year from June-July to December-January for better planning and implementation.
He also criticised the handling of border issues, alleging that parliamentary notices regarding the Border Security Force (BSF) push-in issue were delayed and at one stage removed from the parliament’s agenda.
Regarding the role of the opposition in Parliament, Shafiqur Rahman said lawmakers’ primary responsibility is to represent public interest and avoid wasting parliamentary time through personal attacks or unnecessary praise.
He further said that while past politics had seen both government-aligned opposition and boycott-oriented opposition, Jamaat-e-Islami would follow neither approach.
The party, he said, would support the government on rational issues in the public interest and criticise where necessary. He added that the party would not resort to long-term parliamentary boycotts, though walkouts could be considered when necessary.
