Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Leader of the Opposition Shafiqur Rahman on Wednesday said the country’s political crisis originated from the failure to honour the people’s verdict in the referendum, while calling for comprehensive constitutional reforms to restore democratic governance.
Speaking at a post-budget discussion at the National Parliament, he said the people had given a mandate for constitutional reform, not merely constitutional amendments.
“The constitution should be reformed in line with the people’s aspirations. Laws should not be enacted to serve the interests of any particular political party,” he said, adding that meaningful reforms would help restore a healthy democratic order.
Commenting on the proposed national budget, Shafiqur said it was broadly in line with expectations, noting that the size of the budget was not the main concern.
“Presenting a large budget is not a problem. The real challenge is ensuring effective implementation and curbing corruption,” he said.
He warned that unless governance and anti-corruption reforms were undertaken, the intended benefits of the budget would not reach ordinary people.
Referring to tax and price measures announced in the budget, the Jamaat chief said consumers expected reductions in the prices of goods for which taxes or duties had been lowered.
“Only if those reductions are reflected in the market can the budget truly be considered people-friendly,” he added.
