The BNP government will have to bear consequences of the crisis sparked by its failure to establish a Reform Council, warned National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener and Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam.
He made these remarks as a special guest at a national seminar titled “Government Against Referendum Verdict: Country Facing Crisis,” organised by the 11-party alliance at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh (IDEB) auditorium in Kakrail on Monday.
Nahid noted that two distinct demands emerged following the mass uprising: the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement sought the total abolition of fascism, while the BNP prioritised holding elections.
“We originally demanded a Constituent Assembly for reforms. However, when the BNP joined the reform discussions, we accepted the demand for a Reform Council instead,” he explained.
The NCP leader accused the BNP of creating an “artificial conflict” by attempting to separate the “July Charter” from the “July Order.” He alleged that the BNP is trying to transform the July Charter into its own party manifesto, which led to the necessity of a referendum.
According to Nahid, the basic structure of the constitution cannot be altered within its existing framework, necessitating a Reform Council with “constitutive power” – a proposal he claimed the BNP had previously accepted during Consensus Commission discussions.
“The BNP has now gone back on its word and disregarded the public mandate of the referendum,” the chief whip stated. He lamented that while the nation should be discussing war preparedness, the protection of national interests, the energy crisis, and managing disasters, it remains mired in reform debates.
“It is our misfortune that we are still stuck with the same reform discussions that the interim government initiated. The BNP has dragged the nation into this disaster and must shoulder responsibility for the results, which will not be easy,” he warned.
Nahid urged the government to immediately implement the Constitution Reform Council to resolve the impasse and maintain national unity.
The seminar was presided over by Maulana Mamunul Haque, Ameer of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, with Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, Leader of the Opposition and Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami, attending as the chief guest.
Other special guests included LDP Chairman Colonel (Retd) Oli Ahmad, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar, and the NCP’s Chief Organiser for the Northern Region Sarjis Alam, alongside other top leaders of the eleven-party alliance.
