Spokesperson of the National Citizen Party (NCP) Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan has alleged that the BNP is engaging in a duplicitous game by going to court and bringing the July Charter into question.
He made remark at an emergency press conference at the party’s office in Banglamotor, capital, on Monday evening.
Asif Mahmud said, “We believe the BNP has gone to court conspiratorially to question the July Charter and is playing a kind of duplicitous game.”
He alleged that the government is selectively talking about certain reforms but is not moving forward to implement the matters agreed upon in the Consensus Commission.
Asif Mahmud stated, “Whenever unpopular decisions are to be taken, the court is used as a shield, and the people are pitted against the court.” He mentioned that a similar situation was created during the quota reform movement.
Referring to the home minister’s recent statement, he said, “The home minister says he has learned that a hearing will be held in court. His ‘having learned’ also raises a kind of suspicion. Actually, did he learn about it, or did they make it happen?” He claimed that it is lawyers associated with the BNP who presented arguments against the July Charter in court.
He said, “The election was held based on this very charter. If the election had been held based on the constitution, it would have taken place in 2029.”
According to Asif Mahmud, any verdict against the July Charter leaves the “possibility that this government and this parliament could also be invalidated.”
Addressing the Members of Parliament, he said, “Members of Parliament from the ruling party, take oath for the Constitution Reform Council. If you do not take this oath, it will be a violation of the order under which the election was held.”
Referring to the president, the NCP spokesperson said, “The first session cannot commence with a statement from the president. If it does start that way, we will question all 300 Members of Parliament.”
At the press conference, Sarwar Tushar, deputy head of the NCP’s Reform Implementation Sub-committee, said the party has been working on constitutional and state structure reforms from the beginning. He said, “When the legal basis for the July Charter was not being ensured, we refrained from signing it. Because of our stance, the July Charter Implementation Order was subsequently issued.”
He claimed, “Based on the July Charter Implementation Order, the national parliament election and the Reform Council election were held simultaneously on 12 February, and the referendum took place.” He stated, “In the referendum, the people, by a huge majority, gave their verdict in favor of the July Charter and the July Charter Implementation Order.”
Regarding the court hearing, he said, “There is an attempt to pit the court against the people for politically motivated purposes.” According to him, “It is written in the pledge of the July Charter that the July Charter is the expression of the people’s will and it is the supreme law.”
Sarwar Tushar said, “If there is an attempt to declare the July Charter Implementation Order illegal, it will, in effect, question the legitimacy of the election.” He further stated, “According to Bangladesh’s existing constitution, the election was supposed to be held in 2029. But based on the July Charter Implementation Order, this election was arranged under special circumstances.”
Calling upon the government, he said, “You must decide in the first session itself how you will take oath for the Reform Council and how you will implement the referendum verdict. There is no alternative to this.”
Urging not to politicise the judiciary, he said, “Do not pit the judiciary against the people.”
Earlier on Monday, the High Court concluded the hearing of a writ petition challenging the legality of the July National Charter and the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order, 2025 enacted for its implementation.
The petition also challenges the legality of the 12 February referendum and seeks annulment of the results announced on 13 February.
