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Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Thursday said that if the July referendum is declared illegal, the legitimacy of the current government and parliament would also be called into question.
He made the remarks while addressing a rally organised by Jamaat-e-Islami Dhaka North at Mirpur-10 in the capital, demanding implementation of the July Charter and justice for those killed in the July uprising and other alleged crimes against humanity.
“The government is now calling the referendum verdict illegal. But the Prime Minister and other top government leaders themselves campaigned in favour of a ‘Yes’ vote during the referendum. Therefore, there is no scope to declare it illegal,” he said.
Dr Shafiqur argued that the government derived its mandate from the same referendum, saying, “If the referendum is illegal, then the government and parliament are also illegal. You cannot accept one and reject the other.”
He urged the government to stop delaying the implementation of the July Charter and to take immediate steps to honour what he described as the people’s verdict.
The Jamaat chief also said the current government and parliament were products of the July movement and therefore had a moral obligation to uphold its objectives. He called for the speedy trial of those responsible for the July killings and demanded state recognition for those who lost their lives during the movement.
He further urged the government to ensure proper treatment and rehabilitation for those injured and provide state honour and support to the families of the victims.
“The July movement carried the message of national liberation and the establishment of a just, discrimination-free society free from enforced disappearances, killings, terrorism and lawlessness,” he said.
The rally was chaired by Dhaka North Jamaat Ameer and DNCC mayoral candidate Mohammad Selim Uddin and attended by several Jamaat leaders, lawmakers and representatives of its affiliated organisations.
