BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Friday criticized the proposal to include the July Charter as a core principle of the Constitution, calling it “misleading.”
“BNP has already accepted many points from the July Charter, but why must it be made part of the fundamental principles of the Constitution?” he said.
Rizvi made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a prayer mat distribution program in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan Central office, organized by Zia Parishad, which sought the recovery of the organization’s president and BNP Chairperson’s adviser, Abdul Kuddus.
The BNP leader emphasized that reforms happen continuously across countries and over time. “Reform is not something fixed, like the Thai mountain range. It is a dynamic process,” he said.
He added that reforms should be made when necessary for the sake of democracy, the state, or the people, and appropriate laws should be enacted. “This is the very nature of a democratic constitution. But insisting that reforms must be done first and that the July Charter should be included in the fundamental principles of the Constitution is misleading. This creates confusion among the people. Why are you trying to mislead the public in this way?” Rizvi questioned.
Rizvi also urged political parties to focus on returning power to the people rather than confusing them with various demands. “That is the most important task,” he said.
He claimed that autocratic ruler Sheikh Hasina had taken away the power of the people by shutting the door to democracy for 16 years. “We must now reopen that door and return power to the people by forming a government with elected representatives,” Rizvi asserted.
The BNP leader reiterated that their party has never spoken against reform, and in fact, has always supported it. “Many of the issues you refer to in the name of reform are already reflected in BNP’s 31-point reform outline.”
He stated that BNP has long been fighting for greater ideals: justice, equality, the rule of law, and true democracy. “This fight is for restoring people’s ownership of the state. When that ownership is denied, it opens the path to fascism.”
Rizvi stressed that a people’s government must remain accountable to the public at every step. “That accountability is absent now. We believe the interim government has been formed with public support, as well as the backing of all political parties — except the Awami League and a few of its allies.”
“We all continue to support the Dr. Muhammad Yunus-led government. But it is also true that if we begin to see signs of famine, the people will not spare us,” Rizvi added.
Referring to the worsening economic situation, Rizvi noted that many garment factories are closing, leaving people unemployed. “If people cannot afford food, that’s a clear sign of famine. And if such signs appear, no one will be spared — only the fallen fascists will clap in delight.”
He suggested that if the government wanted, it could appoint administrators to manage the institutions of Awami League cohorts who have fled the country after siphoning off large sums of money abroad, and prevent the closure of factories.
“The factories must not be shut down, especially given the dire state of the economy. This is not just a figure of speech — people are now seriously wondering whether the country might face famine by September or October,” Rizvi warned.