The Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party opposition alliance has put forward six demands, including rejection of the initiative to carry out fundamental constitutional reforms through the special committee on constitutional amendment formed in parliament.
The alliance said the reforms approved in the referendum must be implemented through the Constitutional Reform Council.
Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar presented the alliance’s position at a press conference at the National Press Club today (20 September).
He said, “Through the participation of 70% of voters in the referendum, the BNP’s note of dissent in the July National Charter was rejected. It is the responsibility of state institutions to respect the verdict given by the people in the referendum. The constitutional reforms approved in the referendum must be properly implemented. No process that ignores the people’s verdict is acceptable.”
He said, “We are in favour of implementing the verdict of nearly 69% of the people in the referendum regarding constitutional reforms based on the July National Charter. We are in favour of upholding the dignity of the sovereign and constituent power of the people.”
The Jamaat secretary general said, “We do not consider acceptable any initiative to create an alternative to the reform process approved in the referendum through a parliamentary special committee. The same individuals may be members of parliament and members of the Reform Council, but the legal identity, source of authority and scope of work of the two institutions are not the same.”
At the press conference, Porwar presented six demands on behalf of the 11-party alliance.
First, the alliance demanded proper implementation of the verdict given by the people in the referendum.
Second, it demanded implementation of the constitutional reforms included in the July National Charter and approved in the referendum.
Third, it rejected the current initiative to implement fundamental constitutional reforms through a parliamentary special committee by bypassing the process approved in the referendum.
Fourth, it demanded that the Constitutional Reform Council be made functional by completing the prescribed process for elected representatives to become members of the council.
Fifth, it called for refraining from any unilateral initiative to bring changes related to the basic structure of the Constitution by bypassing public consent and the mandate of the referendum.
Sixth, it called for state and constitutional reforms to be taken forward on the basis of public expectations, the referendum verdict and political consensus.
Porwar said, “We believe that respecting the aspirations of the July mass uprising, the July National Charter and the people’s verdict expressed through the referendum is the democratic way to resolve the current constitutional differences. The people’s vote cannot be accepted or ignored according to the political convenience of any party.”
“Respecting the people’s verdict is the fundamental demand of democracy,” he said.
Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Dr AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, Labour Party Chairman Mostafizur Rahman Iran, JAGPA Vice-President Rashed Pradhan and others were also present at the press conference.
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