Opposition leader pledges unyielding protests over referendum mandate

Opposition Leader and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has pledged that relentless protests will continue both in parliament and on the streets if the recent referendum mandate is not implemented. 

Speaking at a mass rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on Friday afternoon, Dr Shafiqur declared that once parliamentary and street agitations merge, the resulting political tide will be impossible for the government to stop.

The rally was organized by the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish to demand the immediate execution of the referendum results and the July Charter. 

During his address, Dr Shafiqur drew a sharp historical parallel, reminding the government that denying the public mandate in 1971 made the Liberation War inevitable. 

He warned that those currently denying the referendum results, despite considering themselves champions of the Liberation War, should respect the mandate to avoid a similar fate. 

Dr Shafiqur accused the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of forgetting its past as an oppressed party now that it is in power. 

He pointed out the hypocrisy of the ruling party, noting that their own leaders had previously advocated for the referendum and campaigned for a "yes" vote, yet are now labeling the mandate as illegal. 

Condemning attempts to divide the nation with negative narratives, he warned the government against establishing a new fascist regime and urged them to learn from the downfall of recent autocrats. 

Furthermore, Dr Shafiqur raised serious allegations of electoral engineering, citing recent admissions by an interim government adviser that the election results were pre-determined in London.

Echoing these warnings, Opposition Chief Whip and Jatiya Nagorik Party Convener Nahid Islam emphasized the unbreakable unity between opposition lawmakers and street activists. 

Nahid highlighted the severe hardships currently faced by ordinary citizens, including the ongoing fuel crisis, soaring inflation, and disrupted healthcare services. 

He stated that while the opposition wants to cooperate and avoid political instability, the government’s repeated broken promises are pushing the nation toward a crisis. 

He warned that the public will not tolerate a newly awakened autocracy and that the government will face dire consequences if it attempts to bypass the public vote by force.

The rhetoric from other alliance leaders at the rally was equally stern. Liberal Democratic Party Chairman Colonel Retired Oli Ahmed harshly criticized the Election Commission, accusing it of facilitating widespread vote rigging, and asserted that polite diplomatic approaches to the government are no longer effective. 

Similarly, AB Party Chairman Mujibur Dr Shafiqur Manju drew comparisons to the Pakistani Yahya Khan regime, which notoriously rejected the 1970 election mandate. Manju warned that if the current administration continues down this path, the country could witness another uprising akin to 1971, with citizens ready to sacrifice their lives to establish a new democratic settlement.

Presiding over the rally, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish Ameer Maulana Mamunul Haque cautioned the ruling party against betraying its 50-year political legacy and the foundational ideals of Ziaur Dr Shafiqur and Khaleda Zia. 

He threatened to show the government a political red card if it continues to oppose the referendum. Shifting his focus to foreign policy, Haque heavily criticized the government’s diplomatic stance. 

He condemned the recent appointment of an Indian ambassador to Bangladesh, alleging the envoy was chosen specifically to serve the partisan agenda of India's ruling BJP, in violation of standard diplomatic norms. 

Maulana Mamunul demanded that bilateral relations with India be based strictly on equality, declaring that Bangladesh will not allow itself to become a platform for any foreign political party's agenda.