Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will face the same fate as Sheikh Hasina if the government fails to implement the referendum verdict and address public suffering, leaders of the 11-party alliance warned on Saturday.
Speaking at a divisional rally at Railway Krishnachura Chattar in Mymensingh city, the leaders said a united movement will continue on the streets if the referendum verdict is not implemented.
“BNP is trying to deceive 70 per cent of the people through Family Cards and Farmer Cards. If they continue this game, Tarique Zia will follow the same path as Sheikh Hasina,” they said.
Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis Ameer Mamunul Haque, addressing as chief guest, demanded peaceful implementation of the 70 per cent public verdict in the referendum.
“If the referendum verdict is not implemented, the movement will continue on the streets to protect people’s rights. If BNP and Tarique Zia try to hijack people’s voting rights or ignore the reform process, they will face the same fate as past autocrats,” he said.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar said the movement will continue if the referendum verdict is not implemented. He alleged irregularities in the election process and said the people’s verdict was not properly implemented.
Referring to the July Charter, he said reforms were initiated to build a party-free, corruption-free Bangladesh. “But BNP is not accepting it. If this charter had been implemented, no one could have become an autocrat like Sheikh Hasina.”
He accused BNP of politicising the administration instead of implementing the referendum verdict and amending the constitution. “BNP’s ‘Bangladesh First’ has now become ‘BNP First’,” he said.
National Citizen Party (NCP) Spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan said there has been no progress in the trial of the July massacre, including killings and disappearances.
Referring to the prime minister’s visits to Malaysia and China, he said no good news came from Malaysia’s labour market, and nothing was achieved from China. “The people have seen the proof of failure in foreign policy,” he said.
He said the promises of constitutional reform, justice, and state reform have not been implemented. “If the government takes an anti-people position, we will choose the path of movement as the opposition,” he said.
The rally was presided over by Jamaat-e-Islami central executive council member and Mymensingh region director Professor Md Shahabuddin. Leaders from various 11-party alliance organisations were present.
