The Bangladesh Nationalist Party has accused the government of betraying the nation with the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order 2025, claiming that the order ignored the views and dissenting opinions of political parties, turning the entire reform process into a one-sided imposition.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday at the party鈥檚 chairperson鈥檚 office in Gulshan, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that nearly a year of dialogue and discussion in the National Consensus Commission had been rendered meaningless, turning the process into a farce and a betrayal of the people.
Fakhrul sharply criticised the order, issued by the NCC on October 28, for excluding political parties鈥� views and dissenting opinions.
He accused the government of attempting to forcefully impose the Commission鈥檚 proposals in a one-sided manner, ignoring the contributions made during the discussions.
Fakhrul further argued that the National Consensus Commission鈥檚 other recommendations were unacceptable, pointing out that they failed to address disagreements or dissent, and included topics that were never part of the extensive talks.
The BNP expressed grave concern that these recommendations would deepen divisions within the country, creating disunity rather than the unity that was supposed to result from the reform process.
BNP warned that accepting arbitrary reform proposals could have long-term negative consequences for the nation.
During the press conference, Fakhrul reiterated that his party would never accept any decision regarding a referendum that was held outside of an election.
He elaborated on his concerns, stating that holding a referendum before the election is neither feasible nor sensible.
Given the time constraints, financial costs, and the large scale of organising an election, Fakhrul described the proposal as both illogical and imprudent.
Fakhrul criticised the referendum as being focused solely on the clauses proposed by the National Consensus Commission, while neglecting to include the views, dissenting opinions, or notes of disagreement from political parties.
He argued that the government has no legal authority to endorse the July National Charter, accusing the Commission of disregarding the democratic rights of political parties in the process.
Fakhrul took aim at the provision that, if constitutional reforms are not completed within 270 calendar days from the start of the first session, the reform bill would automatically be included in the constitution following a referendum approval.
He said that any bill passed by the national parliament only becomes law after receiving approval from the president, and that automatic inclusion into the constitution would undermine democratic principles and parliamentary sovereignty.
Despite the ongoing reform process, Fakhrul affirmed that the BNP is dedicated to ensuring that any reforms genuinely serve the welfare of the people and the nation.
He stressed the importance of achieving these objectives through democratic means, reiterating that the party remains a responsible political force committed to national development and progress for the people.
BNP standing committee members Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Salahuddin Ahmed, Selima Rahman and Hafiz Uddin Ahmed were present at the press conference.