3 months ago
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Days up of the wide predetermination and fashionable referendum of February 12, candidates and experts questioned the contented of holding the referendum that aims to curtail power of the Prime Minister’s post. They said determination is precise small knowing among the nationalist astir the thought and aims of the referendum and that determination are chances that the outcomes of the 2 processes whitethorn pb to ‘tension’ that whitethorn prolong governmental instability successful the country.
The referendum is aimed astatine implementing the recommendations made by July Charter, a papers created by the National Consensus Commission that was formed for law betterment aft the overthrow of the Sheikh Hasina regime. Among its respective recommendations, the July Charter seeks to heighten powerfulness of the President of Bangladesh which is mostly a ceremonial presumption astatine the moment. It besides recommends to region the word ‘Bengalee’ from Article 6(2) of the contiguous constitution and regenerate it with ‘Bangladeshi’.
That apart, overmuch of the absorption of the Charter is aimed astatine curtailing powerfulness of the Prime Minister with the purpose to guarantee that nary aboriginal Prime Minister would beryllium capable to maltreatment authority. These provisions person already fixed emergence to interest among the candidates who are campaigning for the February 12 polling.
The National Consensus Commission consulted governmental parties portion drafting the July Charter but electoral candidates present said that they were not ‘involved’ successful the drafting of the July Charter. BNP-backed Andaleev Rahman Partho who is contesting for Bhola-1 constituency successful confederate Bangladesh said, “Some of the governmental parties were consulted portion making the July Charter, but we were not progressive successful the drafting process successful the mode that was necessary.”
He further said that the prominence of the nationalist parliament should not beryllium diluted done means that autumn extracurricular the realm of electoral politics. He said that arsenic a typical of young Bangladeshis, helium “acknowledges” the sacrifices made successful July-August to overthrow the Governement of Sheikh Hasina but helium does not privation to marque changes to the parliamentary process that is presently prevailing successful Bangladesh arsenic that strategy can not beryllium blamed for the excesses committed by Sheikh Hasina.
“I ain and admit the July Spirit, that emanated from the sacrifices of July 2024 but I bash not privation to marque it into a Magna Carta of sorts. The recommendations of the July Charter should beryllium passed by the adjacent parliament arsenic that is the champion mode forward,” said Mr. Rahman Partho who is the person of Bangladesh Jatiyo Party which is being supported by Tarique Rahman-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He argued that corruption depends connected individuals and that it is not close to ideate that each aboriginal Prime Ministers volition person a inclination to centralise powerfulness and go financially corrupt. He besides said that people astatine ample are unaware astir the assorted aspects of the July Charter. “People are focused connected the election, they privation to elite the adjacent members of the parliament. I americium definite not adjacent 1 tenth of my voters are really alert of what the referendum is aiming to deliver,” said Mr. Rahman Partho.
Shafqat Munir, Senior Fellow astatine Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) besides said the referendum whitethorn extremity up creating further difficulties earlier the country. “The questions asked successful the referendum and the process of executing the referendum is analyzable and successful immoderate cases opaque. The electorate particularly successful the agrarian areas has scant knowing of what they are voting for. The interim government’s archetypal handling of the referendum has raised respective large questions,” said Mr. Munir.
