Govt, BNP have ‘turned 180 degrees’ from July National Charter pledge: Jamaat’s Porwar

The current government and the BNP have “turned 180 degrees” from the aspirations of the July uprising and their pledge to implement the July National Charter, alleged Mia Golam Porwar, secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami, yesterday.

He described it as political “double standards”, saying the will of the people should be regarded as the highest law.

Porwar made the remarks while speaking to journalists at Cox’s Bazar Airport around 2pm today (23 March) after arriving in the coastal town as part of an organisational visit.

During the briefing, the Jamaat leader sharply criticised the country’s current law and order situation and the government’s activities.

He said the aspirations that emerged from the July uprising were not being reflected in governance.

“We dreamt of a new Bangladesh, a vision bought at the cost of over a thousand lives and the permanent disability of thousands more. Yet, since the government’s formation, those aspirations have not been reflected,” he said. “Specifically, the BNP had pledged to implement the July Charter, but they have now retreated from that commitment and taken a different path.”

Porwar also alleged that despite a commitment not to challenge the July Charter, it has been indirectly made sub judice by having a party file a writ petition in court.

He claimed, “This has been done with the government’s indirect backing, which is extremely unfortunate. Speaking about the people on one hand, while adopting a different strategy behind the scenes can only be described as double standards.”

Referring to the referendum, Porwar said public support for the charter had exceeded the votes obtained in national elections.

“Laws are for people, not people for laws. Therefore, denying the July Charter by citing a parliamentary majority cannot be the act of a pro-democracy party,” he added.

The Jamaat secretary general also proposed steps to resolve the current political crisis.

He said, “Take the oath of the Constitutional Reform Council and incorporate the July National Charter into the schedule of the Constitution through a presidential order. This is now the only way to resolve the crisis.”

He warned that the government must decide whether it would resolve the issue in parliament or push the public back onto the streets in protest.

Porwar added that Jamaat-e-Islami, as a responsible opposition party, remains committed to representing the people both in parliament and on the streets.