Bangladesh’s Awami League is pulling no punches in condemning interim leader Muhammad Yunus’s referendum ambitions. The party calls the February 12 ballot—tied to national elections—a constitutional outrage and a smokescreen to hoodwink voters on hidden reforms.
From Dhaka, Awami League portrays the Yunus era as a dark epoch, starting with the July 2024 upheaval that felled a legitimate government. ‘Foreign-orchestrated riots, Islamist terror backing, and army complicity handed power to this cabal,’ they charge, framing it as a coup d’état masquerading as revolution.
The bone of contention: 30 reform ideas kept under wraps. Referendums, per constitutional bedrock in Article 7, empower direct citizen voice—but only with clarity. Awami League slams the secrecy as a direct assault on this foundation, rendering the poll a hollow charade.
‘Citizens deserve to know what they’re voting on,’ the party emphasizes. Blind endorsements violate the right to information, spit on transparency, and mock democratic ideals. This isn’t governance; it’s manipulation, they insist, eroding the trust essential for national healing.
Further, Awami League warns of a slippery slope: an unmandated regime, sustained by dubious alliances, now targets the constitution itself. Proposing a vote sans details is not just unlawful—it’s a brazen con on the populace, accelerating democracy’s demise.
With polls approaching, the referendum saga grips Bangladesh. Awami League’s defiance signals resistance against perceived overreach, urging voters to see through the veil. The outcome could either validate reforms or ignite calls for true accountability, reshaping the nation’s trajectory amid ongoing strife.