The legitimacy of both the interim government formed after the July 2024 mass uprising and any government elected through a national election could be questioned if the verdict of the February 12, 2026 referendum is ignored, speakers said at a seminar on Saturday.
They stressed the need to implement the July Charter and of respecting the popular mandate expressed through the referendum.
The Referendum Implementation Citizens Forum organised the seminar titled “Referendum and the Sovereign Power of the People: Moral and Constitutional Basis of the Referendum in Light of the High Court’s Observations” at the Abdus Salam Hall of the Jatiya Press Club.
Supreme Court lawyer Shishir Manir said the events of August 5 and the formation of the interim government that followed did not take place through the conventional constitutional process.
“This uprising was not the result of the will of any individual, political party or administration,” he said.
He said the fall of the previous government, the formation of the interim government and the February 12 national election all took place outside the existing constitutional framework.
“If the July Charter is not implemented, the legitimacy of the government will also be questioned,” he said.
Criticising the BNP, Shishir Manir said, “Although the BNP claims to be a party of the people, it is not accepting the referendum.”
He said the interests or personal ambitions of a few individuals could not be placed above the will of the people.
Addressing the prime minister, he said the government now faced a choice between playing a statesmanlike role and giving priority to party interests.
Tajul Islam, former chief prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal, said the BNP had repeatedly promised to fully implement the July Charter but was now moving away from that commitment.
He said the opposition party had also failed to ensure implementation of the referendum verdict through parliament.
Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Tanim Hossain Shawon said weaknesses in the Constitution had contributed to the events of August 5.
He said the previous government had used constitutional provisions to maintain authoritarian rule, while the July uprising, formation of the interim government and subsequent political process all took place outside the existing constitutional framework.
Shafiqul Alam, editor of the Daily Waadaa and former press secretary to the chief adviser of the interim government, said a section of people was trying to sow doubts about the July Uprising and the entire tenure of the interim government.
He said such efforts reflected the narrative promoted by the Awami League.
However, he said the political awareness and aspirations that had developed among young people and ordinary citizens could not be suppressed.
Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuaad, general secretary of the AB Party, said the BNP was one of the major beneficiaries of the political changes of 1975 and 1990 but had failed to meet people's expectations after coming to power.
“This time too, despite being one of the biggest beneficiaries of the mass uprising, they are following the same path,” he said.
He said the party still had an opportunity to change course.
Alternatives organiser Tajnuva Jabin said the July Charter was not being implemented because of the “arrogance of the home minister”.
“The referendum belongs to the people of Bangladesh. If everyone were united, no one could have stopped its verdict from being implemented,” she said.