'We'll take to streets with 70% who backed referendum,' says Porwar

The Jamaat-e-Islami led 10-party alliance would take to the streets with 70% of voters who backed the referendum if its verdict is not implemented through parliament, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar said today (31 July).

"An amendment would bring only minor changes, not fundamental ones. Reform means changing the Constitution's basic structure, which we expected as part of rebuilding the state. But the BNP has yet to move in that direction," he said at a discussion titled "July '24 Mass Uprising: Expectations and Achievements" at the Jashore District Council auditorium.

Speaking as the chief guest at the event, he said the expectations of a new Bangladesh would not be fulfilled until the referendum verdict was implemented.

"Until then, the 10-party alliance will fight in parliament. If we cannot resolve this in parliament, we will take to the streets with the 70% of people who voted in favour of the referendum and launch a movement to implement its verdict," he added.

Criticising the BNP government, Porwar alleged that politicisation had spread across all levels of administration, with projects in city corporations, districts and upazilas being divided among party loyalists.

"Even where there are lawmakers from the opposition, you are running things with your own party people. Then what is the difference between you [the BNP government] and the Awami League? Only the party's name has changed; the character remains the same," he said.

"You are heading down the path of fascism. Turn back," Porwar said, accusing the government of trying to sidestep the reform process by excluding differing views from the July Charter.

"Amendment and reform are not the same thing. If you exclude differing opinions from the July Charter and try to impose your version of reform, the people will not accept it," he added.

He also said the government could not accept amendments while rejecting reforms, and urged it to acknowledge in parliament that it had failed to follow the Constitution.

"Let us now come to parliament and discuss together whether we should form a committee on amendment or reform. You make your proposals, and then the opposition can consider them."

The Jamaat secretary general warned that if the government continued to pursue constitutional amendments instead of reforms and tried to impose its own version of reform on the opposition, it would be moving towards "fascism".