Opposition leader and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has said his party will not act as a “puppet opposition” in parliament, vowing instead to uphold public interest through a responsible parliamentary role.
“We will not be a puppet opposition party, nor will we act in a way that harms public interest,” he said while exchanging views with journalists at the LD Hall of the National Parliament on Tuesday afternoon.
He said Jamaat would not follow past patterns of either government-controlled opposition or disruptive parliamentary politics.
“In the past, there were two types of opposition in Bangladesh. One was under government control; the other created chaos in parliament and boycotted proceedings for long periods. Jamaat will not follow either of these trends,” he said.
He added that the party’s approach from the beginning of the current parliamentary session had been “clear and consistent,” focused on being “reasonable and logical.”
Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam and Deputy Leader of the Opposition Abdullah Mohammed Taher were present during the interaction with journalists.
On fiscal policy, Shafiq proposed shifting the financial year from July–June to January–December, saying it would improve efficiency in development planning and expenditure management.
Referring to the “July Charter,” he said that if the referendum verdict is not resolved in parliament, the issue would be taken to the streets through movement.
“There is no scope to back down from the people’s demands. It is better if it is resolved in parliament; otherwise, the demands will be met through movement. We are committed,” he said.
He also said the party would not nominate any representative to the government-proposed committee on constitutional amendments, arguing that reforms must reflect the people’s verdict rather than mere amendment procedures.