No problem if July Charter referendum held on election date: Nahid

Bangla Press Desk: NCP Convener Nahid Islam said his party has no problem if the referendum on implementing the July Charter is held on the election day in February, but prefers it be held earlier.

He also backs the National Consensus Commission’s proposal that says the constitutional reform provisions backed by people in the referendum must be incorporated into the constitution after elections with or without the elected parliament’s support.

Nahid, one of the student leaders of last year’s uprising, made the remarks at a press conference held at party head office in the capital on Sunday.

At the press meet, he blamed BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, now the country’s biggest and second-biggest political parties, of deliberately creating controversy over the referendum date to divert attention from the July Charter.

Although the referendum should be held before national elections, as demanded by Jamaat, the government can arrange it on the election date in keeping with BNP’s demand, if authorities have the necessary capacity, Nahid said.

He also said the July Charter implementation order must come from Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, and not the president. According to Nahid, if President Mohammed Shahabuddin, an Awami League politician, gives the order it would undermine July Uprising’s spirit, which rose up against Awami government’s fascism.

BNP has said that the chief adviser or any other cabinet member does not have the legal capacity to issue the July Charter implementation order.

BP/SP