BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has said there is no scope to hold a referendum before the national election by bypassing the consensus reached among political parties through the National Consensus Commission (NCC).
He made the remarks at a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon following a meeting between BNP leaders and British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office.
He said that his party does not agree with the Consensus Commission’s recommendation to hold a referendum before the national election, emphasising that BNP’s position on the matter remains unchanged.
Responding to questions, he asked why a referendum should be held before the polls.
“Those who propose it that is their issue, not ours. Our position is clear, BNP does not support holding a referendum before the election. There is no scope to move in that direction,” he said, referring to the NCC’s recommendation in its final draft of the July Charter implementation system submitted to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday.
He reiterated that the BNP’s firm stance remains that both the national election and the referendum will be held on the same day, using two separate ballots. “There is no room for further discussion on this issue,” he said.
On the topic of recommendations, Amir Khosru said, “Making suggestions is not a problem, but it will be the political parties that contest the election. The July Charter was signed based on consensus among the parties and the commission. Decisions come through consensus, and anything outside that framework is the concern of the individual, not the BNP. There is no scope for decisions beyond the agreed consensus.”
He added that the meeting with the British High Commissioner focused on preparations for the upcoming national election, ensuring its acceptability, and how the interim government could function in the spirit of a caretaker administration.
Amir Khosru further stressed that a key part of the discussion was how the interim government could maintain neutrality and credibility during the election period amid the current political context.
