The government is attempting to disregard the referendum verdict after securing election victory, breaching a prior political consensus, Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam alleged on Sunday.
Speaking to journalists at the National Parliament, the NCP convener expressed concern that no oath has been taken regarding the referendum result, suggesting parliament is trying to sidestep the issue.
“We haven’t received their statement today. We will hear their final statement in parliament after Eid. After hearing it, we will make our position clear – whether they accept the referendum or not,” Nahid said.
He dismissed claims that the referendum was an imposed decision, noting it emerged from political discussions involving all parties.
“It’s not that this matter was suddenly imposed. There was criticism from many regarding the referendum, including from us. But among those who participated in the election and campaigned in favour of the referendum, there were many BNP MPs and even their party chief. So, it was a matter of political consensus,” he stated.
Nahid warned that abandoning this consensus could lead to political crisis, drawing parallels with the 1990 mass uprising when the BNP allegedly failed to honour commitments made to allies.
“After the mass uprising of 1990, everyone agreed on the framework of the tri-party alliance. But after forming the government, the BNP disregarded that and didn’t keep that promise. As a result, they couldn’t survive long in parliamentary politics,” he said.
The opposition leader emphasized that the current political reality cannot be interpreted through constitutional provisions alone, as it had emerged from a mass uprising.
“The mass uprising gave legitimacy to the reforms, gave legitimacy to the interim government, and also gave legitimacy to this election. According to the constitution, elections were not supposed to happen at this time,” Nahid explained.
He made it clear that opposition activities would continue both inside and outside parliament. “Parliament is one arena for our activities, and the street and political field are another. Our position and programmes there will remain ongoing.”
