Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Opposition Leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman has questioned the government's selective approach to the election and referendum results, asking why voting for parliament is accepted as valid while the referendum is being disregarded.
"Voting and referendum �" if one is legitimate, why would the other be illegitimate?" he said while speaking to reporters on Saturday, after leading Eid-ul-Fitr prayers at Manipur School and College ground near Mirpur 60 Feet Road in Dhaka.
Dr Rahman warned that if the referendum issue is not resolved in parliament, the opposition will take the matter to the streets with the support of 70 percent of the population who voted in favor of reform.
Commenting on the Eid travel chaos, the Jamaat chief said the nation was embarrassed by the fare scandal and the transport minister's remarks during the holiday season. "It was inhumane and criminal. The government should have ensured a comfortable journey for the people but failed to do so," he said.
He extended Eid greetings to all citizens and the Bangladeshi diaspora and expressed solidarity with the people of Gaza and Iran amid ongoing violence, saying he believed the oppressed would ultimately be victorious.
Later in the day, Dr Rahman received foreign diplomats at his official residence at 29 Minto Road in Dhaka from 11 am to exchange Eid greetings. He was also scheduled to meet political leaders and people from various sections of society from 3 pm to 4:30 pm for Eid courtesy calls.
