Respect the verdict or face action Shafiqur to Govt

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman warned on Saturday that the government would meet the same fate as its predecessors if it failed to implement the outcome of the national referendum, cautioning that continued disregard for the people’s verdict could push the country toward political confrontation.

“We do not want to remain on the streets like this. We want to work together to build the country.

But the government isn’t on the right track, it forced us towards the streets,” Shafiqur said, addressing the 11-party alliance’s divisional rally at Hemayet Uddin Eidgah Maidan in Barishal.

Shafiqur, who is also the opposition leader, accused the ruling BNP of
abandoning commitments it had made ahead of the referendum.

He alleged the party had promised to implement every demand endorsed through the vote in full if the “Yes” side won, but reneged once in power.

“The ruling party had said if the majority of the people voted ‘Yes’ in the referendum, they would implement every demand of the referendum to the letter. We also said vote ‘Yes,’ and so did they.

But when ‘Yes’ won, they came to power through whatever mechanism, and then they forgot the ‘Yes,'” he said.

Constitutional reform, ordinances under fire
The Jamaat chief accused the government of backtracking on its reform agenda, noting that constitutional reform had topped the party’s own 31-point programme.

He questioned the legitimacy of the parliamentary constitutional amendment committee, alleging it was simply a renamed version of an earlier body carrying out the same process.

“How much longer will you deceive the people? How much longer will you resort to trickery? You keep lying at every step. Be prepared for the consequences,” he said.

Shafiqur further alleged that the BNP-led government had kept in place ordinances issued under the previous Awami League administration, calling the move a betrayal of public trust.

“A total of 133 ordinances were issued, and the very ordinances that gave birth to fascism have all been retained by the BNP.

They say they will improve them and bring them back in a better form. Six months have passed, but where are those improvements?” he said.

Demands recognition for July Uprising
Turning to the legacy of the 2024 mass uprising, Shafiqur accused the government of trying to downplay its significance, arguing that the events of 1971 and 2024 each deserved to be honoured within their own historical context.

“We will not allow 2024 to be erased. The heroes of 2024, whether martyrs or survivors, must be given proper state recognition,” he said.

Nahid warns of shift from movement to uprising
Meanwhile, National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam warned that the party’s movement could escalate into a mass uprising if the government fails to implement the July National Charter in line with the referendum verdict.

Speaking as a special guest at the divisional rally organised by the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance in Barishal, Nahid, also the opposition chief whip, said the alliance was holding programmes across the country that would culminate in a rally in Dhaka.

“If the government does not implement the July Charter based on the referendum verdict before then, we will be compelled to move from a mass movement to a mass uprising.

At this moment, we do not want to announce tougher programmes, but the government is gradually pushing the situation in that direction,” he said.