‘No imposed law can undermine parliament’s sovereignty’
Staff Reporter :
BNP senior leader Salahuddin Ahmed on Friday asserted that no externally imposed law, order, or coercive proposal can be allowed to interfere with the sovereignty of the National Parliament.
“We will not tolerate anything that undermines Parliament’s sovereignty. Parliament is the people’s only sovereign House, and only their elected representatives can exercise that authority,” he said while addressing a pre-march silent rally at Shahbagh.
Salahuddin noted that discussions or proceedings of Parliament in Bangladesh cannot be challenged in court. “We reiterate-no outside proposal or imposed measure can dictate or weaken the sovereignty of the National Parliament,” he added.
Welcoming the idea of holding a referendum on the same day as the next national election, he said such an approach would save time and cost while ensuring broader voter participation. “But a referendum cannot be used to enact laws or amend the Constitution. For that, a new Parliament must be formed. We want the national election to take place in the first half of February, and the people are eager to vote freely,” he said.
Referring to the July National Charter, Salahuddin reaffirmed that BNP remains committed to implementing the charter exactly as signed on October 17.
The rally, titled “Growing Violence and Disrespect Against Women: Conscious Society Ready to Resist,” was organised by the Women and Children Rights Forum in front of the National Museum. After the event, participating women covered their faces with black cloths and marched silently from Shahbagh to the Central Shaheed Minar.
Salahuddin accused a certain religious political party of exploiting religion for political gain. “They sell various ‘tickets to heaven’ in the name of religion. Women are being oppressed at their hands,” he alleged. He said the group wants to confine women to their homes and obstruct their progress.
He criticised the group’s call for reduced working hours for women, warning that such a measure would discourage institutions and factories from hiring women. “This will reduce women’s employment opportunities, not increase them,” he cautioned.
Salahuddin stressed that women must have the opportunity to work with dignity and prove their capabilities through full employment. “Those promoting reduced working hours have ill intentions. They want women confined, not society to progress,” he said.
He added that a nation can move forward only when men and women advance equally, and when safety, dignity and equal opportunities are ensured for all. He also said the BNP has drafted a comprehensive plan for women based on its 31-point agenda, covering education, employment, safety and housing.
Condemning the recent assault on BNP women activists in Rajshahi-reportedly carried out by members of a religious party-Salahuddin also criticised the case filed against a Jahangirnagar University teacher over remarks made during a talk show.
“We envision a society where everyone is equal-free from religious, ethnic, caste, cultural or linguistic divisions,” he said, adding that equal rights for all citizens are the essence of democracy, independence and sovereignty. “Our only identity should be that we are citizens of Bangladesh.”
Salahuddin said the July uprising and past movements aimed to build such a country, and the struggle must continue to establish a non-discriminatory, democratic state.
The rally was chaired by BNP Standing Committee member and Forum convener Selima Rahman, with member secretary Nipun Roy Chowdhury conducting the programme. Several academics and former MPs, including Jahangirnagar University Professor Mehrin Islam Khan, PSC member Professor Chowdhury Saima Ferdous, Shirin Sultana, Nilufar Chowdhury Moni, Bilkis Islam, and Mayer Daak coordinator Sanjida Islam Tuli, also addressed the event.