Interim govt explains its stance on campaigning for a ‘Yes’ vote in referendum

Voting in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (national parliament) election will take place on 12 February. On the same day, a referendum will also be held on the implementation of the July National Charter.

If the ‘No’ vote prevails in the referendum, the party that wins the next general election will not be obliged to implement the reform proposals contained in the July Charter.

If, however, the ‘Yes’ vote wins, the elected government will be legally bound to implement those reforms in line with the Charter.

In this context, the interim government has been campaigning in favour of a ‘Yes’ vote. This has prompted questions from various quarters as to whether it is appropriate for the government, being the organiser of the referendum itself, to openly campaign for one side.

Addressing a press conference held at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital on Sunday, a journalist raised this issue with the chief adviser’s press secretary, Shafiqul Alam.

The journalist asked whether it was justifiable for the government to campaign for a ‘Yes’ vote while simultaneously administering a referendum offering a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ choice.

In response, press secretary Shafiqul Alam said, “Some may disagree on this point, but we are stating our position clearly: the government will advocate for a ‘Yes’ vote and will urge the people accordingly.”

He added that government-run social media pages were already promoting the ‘Yes’ vote and that government advisers were doing the same.

The press secretary explained that the underlying reason was that this is a reform-oriented government. Through the national consensus commission, the government has sought to institutionalise these reforms, and it is precisely those proposals that are now being placed before the public in the referendum.

“We are telling the people,” Shafiqul Alam said, “that if you do not want misgovernance again, if you do not want authoritarianism to return, then you must vote ‘Yes’. The final decision, of course, rests with the people. But we are carrying out our responsibility, and that is what this government is doing.”