Ignoring Referendum Will Cost Govt Its Legitimacy: Jamaat Ameer

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Leader of the Opposition Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Saturday warned that the government would forfeit its democratic legitimacy if it failed to implement the verdict of the recent referendum, claiming that nearly 70 percent of voters had endorsed the proposed reforms.

Addressing an 11-party divisional rally at Hemayet Uddin Central Eidgah Maidan in Barishal, he said the referendum represented the sovereign will of the people and that any attempt to ignore or dilute its outcome would trigger a nationwide democratic movement.

"If the referendum is ignored, this government will also lose its legitimacy. If you make the referendum fail, you will be made to fail. The people will compel you to respect the referendum," Dr Shafiqur said.

The rally was organised to demand implementation of the referendum verdict, measures to ease public suffering, rein in soaring prices of essentials and improve the country's transport network.

Calling on the government to honour what he described as an overwhelming public mandate, the Jamaat chief said rejecting the referendum would amount to rejecting democracy itself.

"Our position is clear. The people's verdict through the referendum must be respected. Those who reject the referendum reject democracy and stand against the people's mandate," he said, urging the government not to embark on what he termed a "path of deception."

Dr Shafiqur criticised the parliamentary committee formed to recommend constitutional amendments, describing it as unconstitutional and insisting that reforms should instead be implemented in accordance with the referendum outcome.

"There is no constitutional provision for such a committee. If anyone attempts political trickery over constitutional reform, the nation will not accept it," he said.

He also accused the government of repeatedly changing the committee's identity, saying it was first introduced as the Constitution Amendment Committee before later being described as a special committee.

Referring to the July 2024 mass uprising, the opposition leader said the movement was fought to eliminate discrimination rather than create new forms of inequality.

He stressed that the historic significance of the July uprising should complement, not overshadow, the Liberation War of 1971.

"Twenty-Four must remain honoured as Twenty-Four, and Seventy-One must remain honoured as Seventy-One," he said, demanding full state recognition and support for those killed and injured during the movement.

Dr Shafiqur also warned against any attempt to alter the July Memory Museum, saying the nation would resist efforts to erase the legacy of the uprising.

On the economy, he criticised the government's handling of inflation, alleging that ordinary families were struggling under rising prices of food, fuel, gas and electricity.

He claimed that while household expenses had increased by around Tk 5,000, assistance provided through family cards amounted to only Tk 2,500, leaving many families under severe financial pressure.

Highlighting regional development, he renewed demands for a bridge connecting Bhola with the mainland and a railway network for Barishal, arguing that balanced national development would remain impossible if the region continued to be neglected.

Issuing a fresh warning, Dr Shafiqur said failure to implement the referendum verdict would prompt a massive rally in Dhaka.

"If the government refuses to honour the referendum, people will march to the capital even carrying only flattened rice and puffed rice if necessary," he said.

Expressing hope that such a confrontation could still be avoided, he urged the government to respect the people's mandate before public anger escalated.

The rally was attended by leaders of the National Citizen Party (NCP), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Bangladesh Nezam-e-Islam Party, Bangladesh Labour Party, JAGPA and Bangladesh Development Party, along with Jamaat leaders from across the Barishal region.