The government has ‘divided the political parties from the bowl of soup’ by implementing the July Charter, said National Citizens Party (NCP) chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari.
He made this comment at a press conference organized to give a formal response to the July Charter implementation order on Friday (November 14) evening. The press conference was held at the party’s temporary central office at Bangla Motor in the capital.
Nasiruddin Patwari said, ‘The government has given the legal basis for the July Charter. The government has shown compassion here, but has not shown any responsibility. That is, when you have compassion somewhere, you have to take responsibility. The government has divided the political parties from the bowl of soup, one spoon at a time. It has given one spoon to BNP, one spoon to Jamaat. But the people’s plate has become empty.’
Nasiruddin said, ‘We wanted to change the fascist constitution of 1972 after this mass uprising and bring a structure for the people. So that no one can shoot at the people like Hasina again. But it is unfortunate for Bangladesh that after one Hasina leaves, another Hasina is knocking on our door for her to come.’
Nasiruddin said, ‘This order, we will not be able to go on the path of fundamental reforms through this order. Here in Bangladesh, a constitutional crisis remains again.’
Nasiruddin said, ‘We had informed that Dr. Yunus will have to issue an order. Shahabuddin Chuppu will not be able to give it. We have got the legal basis of the July Charter, but we have not got the place of the moral basis. The government of this July Charter uttered the word mass uprising at the beginning. The expression of sovereign intention was taken from the people. But the sign of sovereign intent, through which it was given, was fired upon the people a few days ago. As a result, the government has given the legal basis here to Sheikh Hasina and Awami Fascism, which is part of its hand, and has defiled this July Charter.’
Blaming the BNP, Nasiruddin further said, ‘After the mass uprising, we wanted to remove Chuppu, BNP prevented it. AISA hooliganized in the Reform Commission. Then, on the day of the July signing ceremony, he said, ‘I accept everything, the palm tree is mine.’ They also kept the process of how it will be implemented unclear.’
Nasiruddin alleged that the two political parties are using the reform as a tool to increase their vote bank. He said, ‘The two parties used the process of this reform as a tool to increase their vote bank. As a result, this reform process is a tool for them to increase their vote bank. But the NCP wholeheartedly wants to bring fundamental reforms in Bangladesh. “That’s why we didn’t go there to sign the July declaration, learning from it.”
