Without consensus, referendum may only fuel controversy

Without agreement among political parties, the July Charter referendum risks fuelling the ongoing rift.

Currently, there is a clear division in the political arena over the referendum. The BNP believes that the referendum and the national election could be held on the same day, whereas the NCP and Jamaat-e-Islami favour holding the referendum before the election.

If the differences are not resolved before the referendum, the controversy will persist. Citizens will vote "yes" or "no" on the question of accepting or rejecting the July Charter. Even if the charter is approved through the referendum, the disputes over specific clauses will remain unresolved. So, the question now emerges is whether the referendum is practically feasible.

Another important question is how much ordinary voters actually know about the content of the July Charter. If citizens are not sufficiently informed about its provisions and consequences, how can they cast an informed vote? This raises questions about the legitimacy of the referendum itself.

If the interim government's goal were truly to hold a participatory election, a path for consensus could have been found through discussions on the notes of dissent raised by the BNP.

But judging by the pace and nature of the current process, many are questioning whether it is genuinely moving towards an election or if it is a strategy to achieve some other objective.

KM Mahiuddin is a professor at Dept of Government and Politics, Jahangirnagar University