Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has rejected the National Consensus Commission’s recommendation to hold a referendum before the national election, reiterating its stance that both polls must be held on the same day using separate ballots.
“BNP does not agree with the Commission’s recommendation to hold a referendum before the national election,” said Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, a senior BNP leader, after a meeting between BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and British High Commissioner Sarah Cook at the BNP chairperson’s office in Gulshan on Tuesday.
“It’s as clear as daylight. There is no scope to bring this subject up again,” Khosru added. “Whatever anyone says or recommends, that’s their problem, not BNP’s.”
Khosru further remarked, “Those who made the recommendation will not vote in Bangladesh. It’s the political parties that will take part in the vote. Everything must be resolved based on national consensus.”
Earlier in the day, the NCC had proposed that the interim government hold a referendum following the promulgation of the July National Charter (Constitution Amendment) Implementation Order–2025, but before the next general election.