Jamaat Leader Shishir Monir Says Rejecting Referendum Would Make One a ‘Hypocrite’

❐ Staff Correspondent

Those who do not accept the referendum verdict are hypocrites, said Advocate Shishir Monir, a senior lawyer at the Supreme Court and a member of the central working council of Jamaat-e-Islami.

The leader of the war criminal party Jamaat said, “Nearly 70 percent of the country’s people voted ‘yes’ in the referendum. On the other hand, BNP formed the government with the support of 51 percent of the people. If BNP, after campaigning for ‘yes’ in the referendum, now wants to cancel the opinion of 70 percent by saying that 51 percent is the power, then it will be a gross betrayal of the nation. Those who do not accept the referendum are hypocrites.”

He made these remarks as the chief guest at a discussion titled ‘Not Ignoring the People’s Vote – Government’s Responsibility in Implementing the Referendum’ organized by the secret organization Chhatrashibir in Bogra on Sunday, April 5, afternoon.

Supreme Court lawyers Advocate Jobaidur Rahman Babu, Advocate Shakil Ahmed, and Bogra Bar lawyer Advocate Al-Amin also spoke at the meeting, chaired by Habibullah Khandaker, president of Chhatrashibir Bogra city branch.

Shishir Monir said, “Bangladesh has not been able to reach the desired destination due to the lack of proper leadership for 56 years. During this time, people have repeatedly been subjected to inconvenience due to the constitution being torn apart at will. August 5, 2024 gave birth to the dream of building a new Bangladesh. But the government formed in the February 12 election is not able to move forward in the right direction to realize that dream.”

He added, “The current government is unable to do anything with confidence. It seems that the government is tied to the immobility of some invisible force.”

Regarding the government’s promises, he said, “The Prime Minister came to power by making many promises to the nation and is unable to fulfill those promises. If he cannot implement the promises made to the people, bad consequences await him.”

Shishir Monir said, “We are warning. If you don’t want to understand the reality, there is nothing you can do. If you don’t accept the referendum, if you don’t respect the people’s verdict, then resistance will be built in and outside the parliament. The protest at the North Gate of Baitul Mukarram will spread across the country.”

Addressing the government’s policymakers, he said, “The government people are mocking the July Charter Implementation Order as a horse’s trowel. If it is a horse’s trowel, why did they hold a referendum with this horse’s trowel? Why did they ask the people to vote yes? Those who call the July Charter Implementation Order a horse’s trowel are actually ignorant.”

He further said, “Ziaur Rahman abrogated the constitution by imposing martial law in 1977. He was the first to hold a referendum. In that referendum, he asked the people to vote yes or no. If a referendum was held on 19 issues through one question that day, what is the problem with voting yes or no on 4 questions this time?”