Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter said that the message of constitutional reform outlined in the July National Charter can only be conveyed through a ‘yes’ vote in the upcoming referendum, stressing that the ballot seal represents not just a symbol, but a profound responsibility to move the country forward.
She made the remarks as the chief guest at a public awareness meeting held at a field adjacent to Bhuigarh Kazipara Bus Stand in Narayanganj Sadar on Wednesday afternoon.
The event was organised by Narayanganj District administration and Sadar Upazila administration to promote the referendum and encourage voters’ participation.
The adviser said the interim government’s responsibility is to initiate and facilitate reforms, adding that many of the reform proposals agreed upon with political parties cannot be fully implemented without an elected government.
“Through this vote, the people are sending a clear message. If political leaders are elected, it will be their responsibility to implement the necessary reforms on behalf of the people,” she said.
Farida Akhter emphasised that the people are the real fighters for the country’s future transformation.
She called upon everyone present, as well as citizens across Narayanganj District, to actively engage in awareness campaigns down to the union level.
“The responsibility of change entrusted to us by the younger generation must be restored through elections,” she said, urging voters to cast a ‘yes’ vote.
She also mentioned that the Chief Adviser and several other advisers recently visited the museum commemorating the July–August Mass Uprising, where the names and relics of more than 4,000 victims of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings are preserved.
“Traces of killings, including those at Shapla Chattar in Dhaka’s Motijheel, are still visible. These remind us that fascism must never return,” she said.
Superintendent of Narayanganj Police Mohammad Mizanur Rahman Munshi, father of Narayanganj’s first martyr Md Adil of the 2024 Mass Uprising, addressed the meeting as a special guest.
The event was presided over by Narayanganj Deputy Commissioner Md Raihan Kabir.
Following the discussion, Adviser Farida Akhter distributed leaflets in favour of the referendum.
Government officials from various departments, leaders of different political parties, representatives of various professions, and media personnel were also present at the programme.
