BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has criticised the announcement of the street demonstrations even before the discussions had concluded.
He asked, “When dialogue is ongoing among political parties and consensus has been reached on most issues, what is the purpose of suddenly announcing protest programmes?”
He made these remarks while talking to journalists in Banani, Dhaka, on Wednesday.
He stated, “The discussions are not yet over; in fact, consensus has been reached on many issues. In that case, what message are they trying to send to the people of the country by announcing a programme midway? Then the question remains. If everyone takes to the streets to demand their rights, what was the need for such prolonged discussions all this time?”
Amir Khosru said, “In a democratic process, having differing opinions is normal. It is not necessary to have consensus on every issue. Where there is understanding among political parties, we must move forward together. And on issues where no understanding has been reached, we must go to the people and seek a mandate through elections.”
He added, “Only the people have the right to determine Bangladesh’s future. The people have not given political parties that power. Therefore, only the elected parliament and government will be accountable to the people.”
He further questioned, “If everyone announces programmes to demand their rights, then there would be no need for a consensus commission. What was the need for such lengthy discussions? Are the ones announcing programmes trying to push the country toward instability? Do they want to turn Bangladesh into a failed state?”
Amir Khosru said, “It is also questionable whether the actual intention of the ones announcing protests is to establish democracy and restore people’s ownership.”
He warned, “If everyone takes to the streets now, it will not be good for the country’s stability, democracy, or future.”
It is worth noting that, earlier, Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, the National Citizen Party (NCP), Khelafat Majlis, and a few other parties have launched protest programmes, calling for the July Charter to be given legal backing and the proportional representation (PR) system to be introduced.
