The opposition staged a walkout from the parliamentary session on Monday night in protest against the government’s failure to constitute a Constitutional Reform Council in accordance with the referendum results.
Opposition members vacated the session hall shortly after 9:30pm on Monday. Following the walkout, the Leader of the Opposition and Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami, Dr Shafiqur Rahman, briefed journalists in front of the Parliament.
He said the walkout was prompted by the refusal to form a Constitutional Reform Council despite the mandate of the referendum. Shafiqur Rahman added that those currently citing the constitution to avoid forming the council should remember that the existing constitution contains no provisions for holding an election in 2026.
“The will of the people is the supreme law,” he said, adding that the government must remain mindful of this reality. He emphasised that the position of the 11-party alliance regarding the formation of the Constitutional Reform Council remains as firm as before.
The opposition leader urged the government to take immediate initiatives to form the council. He further warned that a programme for a mass movement might be launched alongside the public if the government continues to procrastinate in implementing the referendum’s verdict.
In this regard, he said the government should keep in mind the experience of the 1994 mass movement for the caretaker government.
