Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President ASM Abdur Rab has said bypassing the referendum verdict to implement the July Charter would go against democratic principles, urging authorities to proceed without delay and without taking hasty steps.
In a statement sent to the media on Wednesday, Rab said that following the bloody July mass uprising, there was a clear and widely supported commitment among all political parties to implement the national charter through a referendum. He described the uprising as a historic effort to redefine state power through public participation.
He warned that any deviation from that position would not simply be a difference of opinion, but a serious violation of the “social contract” made with the people.
Rab said that, from the perspective of new political thinking, the legitimacy of the state arises from the direct consent and participation of the people. In that sense, he added, the national charter is not merely a policy document but a reflection of the collective aspirations of workers, employees, and professionals.
He also said that bypassing the referendum to implement the charter would undermine democratic norms. Without active public participation, he noted, neither authoritarianism can be toppled nor a stable state built. Ignoring this reality, he added, would weaken the spirit of the mass uprising, adding that attempts to achieve stability while sidelining public opinion have historically proven self-defeating.
Rab said upholding commitments is the true test of the government’s integrity and urged implementation of the referendum verdict in line with democratic principles and the spirit of the July revolution.
