Opposition will now support people, not govt: Dr Shafiq

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has accused the government of failing to accept the opposition’s offer of cooperation, saying they will now focus on supporting the country’s 180 million people.

“We have long spoken about cooperating with the government. Now, we will cooperate with 180 million people,” he said at a discussion in Dhaka on Sunday.

The event, titled “One Year of the July Charter: An Assessment of Promises and Expectations”, was organised by the Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) at the Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium in Segunbagicha.

Shafiqur alleged that the government had failed to respect the opposition’s role and accused the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of betraying public expectations after taking office. He said the opposition had wanted the government to succeed, not fall, but its actions had pushed opposition parties towards street protests.

He also accused the government of interfering with constitutional institutions, including the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC). Alleging that some ministers had asked PSC members to resign, he said the commission was a constitutional body, not a minister’s family enterprise.

The Jamaat chief further alleged that ruling-party lawmakers had received special allocations for 208 constituencies while opposition lawmakers had been excluded. He said the opposition would continue demanding implementation of the July Charter and the referendum verdict.