Member Secretary of the National Citizen Party (NCP) Akhter Hossain on Saturday accused the government of disregarding the public mandate expressed in the recent referendum, particularly regarding constitutional reforms.
Speaking at a press conference at the party’s temporary central office in Dhaka’s Banglamotor, he said the government had an obligation to establish a Constitution Reform Council in line with the referendum outcome but had failed to take any concrete steps.
The press briefing was organised ahead of the party’s upcoming “National Convention on Energy, Economy, Human Rights, Reform, and Referendum,” where key national issues are expected to be discussed.
Akhter criticised the government’s handling of the fuel situation, pointing out that long queues at fuel stations disappeared immediately after a sudden price hike. He questioned whether this reflected proper market management.
Referring to the political environment following the 10th parliamentary elections, he claimed that nearly 70 per cent of people had expressed a unified position in the referendum, creating expectations for swift reform initiatives.
“People expected immediate action, but the government has backtracked on its commitments after assuming power,” he said.
The NCP lawmaker further alleged that the administration has attempted to dismiss the referendum results by terming them unconstitutional or fraudulent, instead of implementing them.
Akhter stressed that any amendment to the Constitution’s basic framework requires a credible institutional mechanism, such as a Constitution Reform Council, adding that the proposal has not faced opposition from any political party.
He also voiced concern over recent banking policies, claiming they allow major loan defaulters to regain control of banks by repaying only a small portion of misappropriated funds.
Such decisions, he warned, could encourage further financial irregularities and undermine stability in the banking sector.