Implementation of referendum must: Porwar

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar has called for the full implementation of the people's verdict delivered through the referendum, saying that partial implementation of the July Charter would fail to meet public expectations.

Speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled “Reforming the Information and Broadcasting Sector: A Public-Oriented and Reformative Roadmap” at the Abdus Salam Hall of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Sunday, Porwar said the reform proposals endorsed by a large number of voters in the referendum must be implemented in their entirety.

The seminar was organized by the Center for Media, Information and Public Policy.

Porwar said the public had supported various reform proposals with the expectation that meaningful changes would be brought to the country's governance structure. However, he alleged that the reform process was now being sidelined in the post-election political environment.

"Those who once advocated reforms are now attempting to weaken the process through various arguments and justifications," he said. "Issues on which the people have already expressed their opinion cannot later be dismissed on the grounds of constitutional interpretation, legal technicalities, or political convenience."

The Jamaat leader argued that several important constitutional and judicial reform proposals had gained public support through the referendum process. According to him, attempts by some political parties to oppose those proposals amount to a departure from the spirit of the reforms endorsed by voters.

"The proposals approved by the people should serve as the ultimate political directive," he said, adding that reform initiatives should not be selectively implemented based on electoral calculations.

Addressing media-sector reforms, Porwar expressed concern over what he described as a lack of visible progress despite the availability of a detailed roadmap and a range of recommendations.

He said reforms in the information and broadcasting sector would not produce the desired outcomes unless broader political, constitutional, and judicial reforms were also implemented.

According to Porwar, more than 60 reform proposals concerning the information and broadcasting sector have been discussed at different levels. Among the key recommendations, he highlighted measures aimed at transforming state-owned media into public-service media free from government control, ensuring transparency in the distribution of government advertisements, establishing an independent media commission or council, and strengthening professional rights and security for journalists.