Bangladesh: Awami League calls Feb referendum ‘sham’, accuses Yunus of deception

Dhaka: Bangladesh’s Awami League accused the “illegal” Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of attempting to stage a “so-called referendum”, calling it not merely a gross violation of constitutional norms but a calculated effort to mislead the people.

The referendum scheduled for February 12 alongside the general elections in Bangladesh, the party said, is a “farce” engineered by the Yunus government and will remain a “black stain” on the country’s constitutional history.

It also alleged that an “illegal government” with no popular mandate is attempting to decide the nation’s future while keeping its people in the dark.

“Since orchestrating planned riots across the country in July 2024 to overthrow an elected government, the way Muhammad Yunus and his so-called advisory council have clung to power has become a disgraceful chapter in Bangladesh’s constitutional history. This foreign-funded coup, carried out with the active support of Islamist militant groups and enabled by the silent backing of a section of the military, succeeded through betrayal rather than consent,” the Awami League stated.

Highlighting the provisions of Bangladesh’s Constitution, the party further said, “Article 7 of the Constitution clearly declares that all powers of the Republic belong to the people. On this fundamental principle rests the constitutional mechanism of a referendum, where citizens directly express their will. Yet the Yunus government’s audacity in proposing a referendum while keeping the contents of thirty so-called reform proposals secret directly collides with the spirit of the Constitution”.

The Awami League asserted that in a democratic state, seeking public opinion while keeping citizens in the dark does not constitute a referendum but amounts to a “sham”.

The party questioned how public opinion could be sought without disclosing the substance of the proposed reforms.

“When a voter stands before the ballot box, will they be expected to vote yes or no without knowing what they are voting on? This is not just undemocratic. It is a profound insult to the intelligence and rights of the people. The constitutionally guaranteed right to information, the principle of transparency, and the basic conditions of democratic participation are all being trampled,” it said, criticising the interim government’s decision to hold a referendum.

Expressing concern, the Awami League stated that every action of the Yunus-led interim government is pushing Bangladesh further toward the erosion of the people’s constitutional rights.

Slamming the Yunus regime, the party said, “Acting on the instructions of foreign patrons, with the backing of Islamist militants and shielded by elements within the military, this illegal structure is now bent on the complete destruction of the Constitution and democracy. Organising a referendum while concealing the contents of thirty reform proposals is not only unconstitutional. It is a direct act of deception against the people.”

IANS