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TBS Illustration
The BNP wants a referendum on the implementation of the National July Charter to be held on the same day as the national election. The party’s highest policymaking body, the National Standing Committee, has reaffirmed this stance.
Party leaders believe that the newly elected parliament will take a decision based on the results of the referendum and move forward with its implementation. They also stressed the need to make quick decisions on the process of implementing the July Charter.
These discussions took place at a meeting of the BNP Standing Committee on Monday night at the party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia’s political office in Gulshan, Dhaka. The meeting was chaired virtually by the BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman.
According to party sources, Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed briefed the committee on the outcomes of the latest meeting of the National Consensus Commission. The committee then held detailed discussions, particularly on the proposal to hold a referendum on the implementation of the July Charter alongside the upcoming national election.
The Standing Committee believes that the proposal for a referendum on the July Charter is logical. The government can empower the Election Commission to conduct the referendum by issuing an ordinance or amending the Representation of the People Order (RPO). Holding the referendum on the same day as the general election would allow the use of the same logistical arrangements, funds, and polling centres, thereby reducing cost and effort.
The meeting also discussed the BNP’s preparations for the next national election. A Standing Committee member said the selection process for party candidates is ongoing but not yet final. The BNP plans to give a green signal to single candidates for most constituencies within this month.
The acting chairman Tarique Rahman is personally overseeing the nomination process, having been entrusted with the responsibility by the Standing Committee. After thorough review, he will finalise the candidates.
The meeting also discussed Tarique Rahman’s recent interview with BBC Bangla, which the Standing Committee members highly praised. They said his comments and the issues he raised were logical and timely, and expressed gratitude to him for that.
Meanwhile, political parties could not reach a consensus in earlier meetings on how to implement the July Charter. However, during the 5 October dialogue of the National Consensus Commission, they agreed to hold a referendum on its implementation – paving the way for the country’s fourth referendum. Representatives from 28 political parties attended the dialogue.
BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, however, held differing views on the timing. BNP proposed holding the referendum on the day of the general election, while Jamaat favoured completing it beforehand.
Addressing concerns about legal complications, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said in the commission meeting that no constitutional amendment is required to hold a referendum. The article on referendum (Article 142) that was scrapped by the previous authoritarian government has been reinstated by a High Court verdict. Therefore, there is no legal barrier to holding referendums on constitutional or national issues.