Parliament would hold 'no value' without Constitutional Reform Council: Nahid

The parliament would hold “no value” without the Constitutional Reform Council, National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener and Chief Whip of Opposition in the 13th Parliament, Nahid Islam, said today.

“The reform council is integral to the legitimacy and the function of the parliament,” he said while speaking at a press conference held at the party’s central office in Dhaka’s Banglamotor.

Nahid, who is the MP from Dhaka-11 seat, said despite bringing forth allegations of election rigging, his party had accepted the results in the interest of democracy and national stability.

“We have taken an oath to implement our duties in the parliament and also the Constitutional Reform Council for this purpose,” he said.

Referring to the ruling party MPs not taking oath for the reform council, Nahid said, "This was betraying the people who voted in favour of the reforms in the referendum."

He further said the election and referendum were legally and politically interconnected, and the relevant order clearly stipulated that the oath as a member of parliament and as a member of the reform council must be taken on the same day and by the same individual.

According to Nahid, the ruling party had evaded this obligation by offering incorrect interpretations, despite the council being intended to be formed from among elected lawmakers.

He warned that such actions disregarded the public’s aspirations for a “new Bangladesh” and undermined the referendum’s mandate.

He urged ruling party members to immediately take the oath as members of the Constitutional Reform Council and fulfil their constitutional responsibility.