National Citizen Party (NCP) Chief Organiser for the Northern Region Sarjis Alam alleged that the ruling BNP has begun the parliamentary journey in violation of the July Charter.
He made the remarks while responding to questions from journalists after attending an award distribution ceremony organised by the Kishorekantha Foundation at the Muktamancha of the Panchagarh Government Auditorium on Thursday.
Meritorious students from class four to ten in Panchagarh district were awarded laptops, bicycles, crests and certificates organised by the Kishorekantha Pathak Foundation. Leaders of Jamaat e Islami, Islami Chhatra Shibir and the foundation were present at the event.
Referring to the opening session of the new parliament, Sarjis Alam said despite we have reservations of election results, the opposition alliance had chosen to participate in parliament in the interest of democratic transition.
"We saw the first session of Parliament and we first want to thank you all because we want to go on the path of democratic transition. That is why, despite our questions about the elections results, our 11 party alliance as the opposition party participated in the Parliament," he said.
He added that the opposition intended to extend cooperation in ensuring a smooth democratic transition but alleged that the ruling party had deviated from commitments made under the July Charter.
"But today, when BNP as the government party started their journey by violating the July Charter, it did not send a good message to the people of Bangladesh for future," he said.
According to him, the charter envisaged a power sharing arrangement in the parliamentary leadership.
"According to July Charter, the Speaker of the Parliament was supposed to be from the government party but the Deputy Speaker from the opposition party. But today we saw that the Deputy Speaker has been given to Barrister Kaiser Kamal, who is an MP supported by BNP," he said.
