Staff Reporter:
BNP senior leader Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Tuesday said their party does not agree with the Consensus Commission’s recommendation to hold a referendum before the national election, saying BNP’s position on the issue remains unchanged.
“BNP does not agree with the Consensus Commission’s recommendation to hold a referendum before the national election,” he said.
Khosru made the remarks while talking to reporters after BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s hour-long meeting with British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cook at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office.
He said BNP has been clear from the beginning that both the national election and the referendum must be held on the same day, using two separate ballots.
“It’s as clear as daylight. There is no scope to bring this subject up again. Whatever anyone says or rec-ommends that is their problem, not BNP’s. There is no room for further discussion on this,” the BNP leader added.
Khosru, a BNP Standing Committee Member, said their party remains firm that the referendum and the national election will be held on the Election Day using two separate ballots.
“There is no scope to change this, and BNP’s position on this matter has remained the same since the beginning and will not change in the future. There is no option to go beyond that,” he said.
Referring to the Commission’s proposal, Khosru said those who made the recommendation will not vote in Bangladesh. “It is the political parties that will take part in the vote. Everything must be resolved based on national consensus. Whatever anyone else says or recommends outside that consensus is their own matter.”
Earlier in the day, the National Consensus Commission (NCC) recommended that the interim govern-ment hold a referendum after the promulgation of the July National Charter (Constitution Amendment) Implementation Order 2025, but before the next national election.
