by Zahida Parvez Chhanda (Dhaka Bureau)
The opposition party staged a walkout from Parliament in protest against the government’s proposal for mere ‘amendments’ to the Constitution, ignoring the public referendum mandate for a complete ‘reform.’ Warning that the people’s mandate has been insulted, Opposition Leader Dr. Shafiqur Rahman signaled a return to street protests to mobilize public opinion.
He made these remarks during a press conference held on Wednesday (April 1) evening at the National Parliament Media Center.
During the conference, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman stated, ‘The people voted in a referendum for constitutional reform, not just amendments. However, the government has completely ignored and insulted that final verdict. We walked out of Parliament in protest of this action.’
The Opposition Leader noted that the referendum was held based on a unanimous decision by political parties before the election. According to the referendum’s verdict, elected Members of Parliament were to serve simultaneously as MPs and members of the ‘Constitutional Reform Council.’ Consequently, they were required to take two separate oaths. However, while treasury bench members took the oath as MPs, they failed to take the oath as members of the Reform Council.
Highlighting the opposition’s actions within the House, he said, ‘According to the rules, a meeting of the Reform Council was supposed to be convened within 30 days of the gazette notification, but the government failed to do so. We were forced to serve a notice to the Speaker on behalf of the opposition. When a discussion was finally allowed last Tuesday (March 31), the Law Minister bypassed the public demand for reform and instead proposed forming a special parliamentary committee for constitutional amendments. We stated then that reform and amendment are not the same thing. The government is betraying the will of the people.’
Criticizing the previous administration, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman added, ‘Under the fascism imposed on the people over the last 15 and a half years, 2,663 people were killed without trial. More than 250 people were victims of enforced disappearances, many of whom remain missing today. Detention centers like ‘Aynaghor’ were created, where people were held for 8-9 years. The July-August uprising and this constitutional reform initiative were intended to liberate the nation from that inhumane system.’
Regarding future programs, the Opposition Leader said, ‘We staged a walkout out of respect for the people’s verdict. However, we have not given up on Parliament. We will now return to the people. Our 11-party alliance will meet soon to decide the next course of action. We have no choice but to build a movement on the streets to realize the people’s demands.’
Top leaders of the opposition alliance were present at the press conference.
It is worth noting that these parliamentary developments come at a time when the new BNP-led government is under pressure to maintain legal processes in a volatile political climate while ensuring accountability for past financial crimes.
The author:
Zahida Parvez Chhanda: Staff Correspondent, Pressenza- Dhaka Bureau.