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๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ฉ Bangladesh /Elections & Politics

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From Daily Star · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The BNP secretary general accused the opposition of misleading the public regarding the July Charter.
  • He affirmed the party's commitment to implementing all provisions of the charter as agreed upon.
  • The leader also highlighted past reforms by BNP, such as the caretaker government system, to counter opposition claims.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has strongly refuted opposition claims that his party is unwilling to implement the July Charter. Speaking at a memorial meeting in Dhaka, Alamgir accused the opposition of deliberately misleading the public over the charter's provisions.

The opposition is saying that if the demand to implement the July Charter is not met in parliament, the issue will be settled on the streets. This issue is being raised to mislead people.

โ€” Mirza Fakhrul Islam AlamgirSpeaking at a memorial meeting in Dhaka, the BNP secretary general accused the opposition of misleading the public.

"The opposition is saying that if the demand to implement the July Charter is not met in parliament, the issue will be settled on the streets. This issue is being raised to mislead people," Alamgir stated. He emphasized that the BNP, along with all parties that joined the movement, signed the July Charter and is committed to its full implementation. "We have said repeatedly that we will implement every word of the July Charter," he asserted.

Alamgir also addressed specific points of contention, clarifying that the BNP never agreed to proportional representation in the upper house. He described proposals related to this aspect of the referendum as deceptive, brought forward without the party's consent. The BNP leader reiterated that the charter's implementation should align with the party's election manifesto and their agreed-upon framework, not as wrongly claimed by the opposition.

We signed the July Charter together. All the parties that joined the [July 2024] movement signed it. We have said repeatedly that we will implement every word of the July Charter.

โ€” Mirza Fakhrul Islam AlamgirAffirming the BNP's commitment to the July Charter's implementation.

Drawing on past achievements, Alamgir pointed to the BNP's role in introducing major reforms, including the caretaker government system, as evidence of their commitment to democratic processes. He accused opposition leaders of using "appealing rhetoric" to sway public opinion, asserting that the public is capable of discerning the BNP's genuine stance on constitutional amendments. The party, he maintained, seeks to amend the constitution, not merely reform it, and secured a two-thirds majority based on its manifesto, leaving no room for confusion about its position.

There was no discussion with us about that part of the referendum. I myself said at the time that the nation had been deceived. The reform commission brought those proposals without our consent.

โ€” Mirza Fakhrul Islam AlamgirAddressing the issue of proportional representation in the upper house.

Concluding his remarks, Alamgir expressed concern that the opposition might be using the July Charter merely as a tool to gain power. He framed the July 2024 movement as the culmination of an 18-19 year struggle against fascism, underscoring its significance beyond immediate political maneuvering.

We are committed to implementing the July Charter, just as we are committed to our 31-point proposal. But it should be implemented in the way we agreed. The opposition is wrongly claiming that we do not want to implement it.

โ€” Mirza Fakhrul Islam AlamgirClarifying the BNP's approach to implementing the July Charter.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Daily Star. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.