BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said there is no scope for holding a referendum before the upcoming national election, as the referendum itself will take place on election day.
He added that there will be two ballots — one for the referendum and another for the national parliamentary election — and there should be no disagreement on this issue.
He made the comments on Friday while addressing a discussion marking the 53rd founding anniversary of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) at the National Press Club in Dhaka.
Speaking about the election and the referendum, Fakhrul said: “We will take part in the election; we want an election. We agree with the declaration made by the chief adviser of the interim government. But now, a vested quarter is trying to sabotage the election and spread confusion.”
He urged those creating chaos on the streets not to mislead the public. “Once you stood by Pakistan and opposed the Liberation War. Do not now oppose the election that the people want. The people of this country do not forgive the politics of betraying the nation,” he said.
Addressing the interim government, Fakhrul said: "The commission you formed discussed various issues of consensus, reform and governance. We agreed on many points, though we submitted a note of dissent on a few issues. This is the usual process — even with differences, we reached consensus on the core matters. These issues will be reflected in our election manifesto, and if the people vote for us, we will bring these reforms to Parliament to ensure national progress. If not, they will naturally be excluded.”
Accusing the interim government of betraying the people’s trust, he said: “The day the consensus document was submitted — October 17 — it was raining. Before that, there had been confusion, but we reorganized everything and, under umbrellas, signed the document together. However, when the paper was presented to the chief adviser, we noticed many discrepancies. Most notably, our notes of dissent were omitted.”
“They have deceived the people,” he continued saying: "The trust we expected from them was not honored. The current political crisis is a result of this betrayal by the interim government.”
Fakhrul further said: "Those who claim the BNP is against reform are misleading the nation. BNP has always supported reform. First, we proposed a 10-point reform plan, then 27 points, and finally 31 points — all aimed at reform. We actively participated in every meeting and discussion and signed the consensus document. Any confusion has stemmed from those in charge of the Consensus Commission, not from us.”
He added: “We want to form a government with our allies — those who have stood beside us and fought with us for the past 15 years. Our stance is clear: let us all work together to ensure a fair and credible election, establish a people’s Parliament, and form a people’s government.”
Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna said: “Dr Yunus lacks the capacity to rescue the nation from the current crisis. The only way out is through elections.”
Biplobi Workers' Party General Secretary Saiful Haque said: "The Consensus Commission is guilty of deception and breach of trust. It has not explained why the notes of dissent were omitted.”
He added: "This government has no authority to amend the Constitution. By acting against the existing Constitution, it is endangering itself and pushing the country toward further conflict without offering a way out. The country is not in a position to take the risk of a referendum, which would only deepen political divisions."
He further said: "The Consensus Commission is imposing decisions like Sheikh Hasina used to. If the February election becomes uncertain, both the interim government and the nation will be in crisis, possibly heading toward civil unrest.”
AB Party Chairman Mujibur Rahman Manju said: "It is the tragedy of our history that every time we remove a dictator, another one emerges from within. Though we speak of democracy, authoritarian politics keep returning. The current election impasse stems from the BNP’s weaknesses.”
Gono Odhikar Parishas President Nurul Haque Nur said: "The Consensus Commission could have concluded the referendum discussions three months ago. The charter and declaration were ready by July. There is no barrier to holding the election now, but some are creating trouble in public to serve personal interests behind the scenes.”
