No referendum before the polls

The BNP will not agree to a referendum before the general election.

It believes it should not have agreed to a referendum to secure public consent for implementing the July Charter. But since it has agreed, it must ensure that the referendum is held on the same day as the national polls.

Party leaders are adamant that the referendum has to be held on the same day as the general election, using the same polling stations, officials, and ballot boxes -- or else it could disrupt the electoral process and have political consequences for the party.

They believe that Jamaat-e-Islami, which wants the referendum before the polls, will use the result against BNP and run a negative campaign.

These issues were discussed at a meeting of the BNP Standing Committee at its chairperson's Gulshan office on Monday night, according to several sources who were present.

BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman presided over the meeting virtually from London.

Committee members discussed how the referendum could affect the upcoming election and the party's overall strategy.

They said the BNP stood against the idea of a referendum from the beginning but since it has backed the proposal at the Consensus Commission, changing its stance now could erode public support.

A Standing Committee member, seeking anonymity, said, "The house was not satisfied with the referendum issue. This is a trap of Jamaat-e-Islami. We fell into a trap. That would be very cumbersome."

The party believes the July Charter does not reflect the wishes of all parties. It serves the interests of a few political groups and ignores broader national consensus, the sources said.

The Standing Committee members also said holding the next election in just over four months is a huge task itself and having a referendum before it would be too big a challenge, as it would require manpower and budget.

It would be a waste of time, money, and might delay the general election, they said.

A Standing Committee member, speaking anonymously, said, "Jamaat is trying to create obstacles and delay the polls through it [referendum before polls]."

On Monday, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said the referendum would ensure that the charter has genuine popular backing.

"There is a question of whether all political parties together truly represent the entire population. If we can seek approval from the people, then that will be the final opinion on implementing the July Charter," he said.

Standing Committee members believe that to maintain internal unity ahead of the next election, leaders who were punished for violating party discipline should be reinstated if proven innocent.

The committee also highly praised Tarique's interview with BBC Bangla for clearly articulating the BNP's position and message. They said his remarks were timely and based on logic.