BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed has accused Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus of violating the July National Charter, which he himself signed. According to Salahuddin, the chief adviser went against the commitments made in the charter signed on October 17 at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban through the contents of his latest national address.

Professor Yunus delivered a televised address to the nation at around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. Soon after,

BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed has accused Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus of violating the July National Charter, which he himself signed. According to Salahuddin, the chief adviser went against the commitments made in the charter signed on October 17 at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban through the contents of his latest national address.

Professor Yunus delivered a televised address to the nation at around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. Soon after, Salahuddin Ahmed gave an immediate reaction in an interview with The times of Dhaka.

In his speech, the chief adviser outlined how the July National Charter and its reform measures would be implemented. He said that the national election and the referendum would be held on the same day, and that the parliament would become bicameral. The upper chamber, consisting of 100 members, would be formed based on the proportion of votes received by each party, and any constitutional amendment would require the approval of a majority of the upper house.

Commenting on this, Salahuddin Ahmed said that the issue of forming an upper chamber based on proportional representation had already been settled through a note of dissent during the National Consensus Commission’s deliberations. “There is no scope to reintroduce it,” he added.

He further stated that the concept of a ‘Constitutional Reform Council’ was never discussed in the commission’s dialogues at any stage — calling it an entirely new and unauthorized idea.

Salahuddin Ahmed, who represented the BNP in the long negotiations of the National Consensus Commission, said that the party would issue an official statement in response to the chief adviser’s address. An emergency meeting of the Standing Committee has been called for tonight to discuss the matter.

In his speech, the chief adviser outlined how the July National Charter and its reform measures would be implemented. He said that the national election and the referendum would be held on the same day, and that the parliament would become bicameral. The upper chamber, consisting of 100 members, would be formed based on the proportion of votes received by each party, and any constitutional amendment would require the approval of a majority of the upper house.

Commenting on this, Salahuddin Ahmed said that the issue of forming an upper chamber based on proportional representation had already been settled through a note of dissent during the National Consensus Commission’s deliberations. “There is no scope to reintroduce it,” he added.

He further stated that the concept of a ‘Constitutional Reform Council’ was never discussed in the commission’s dialogues at any stage — calling it an entirely new and unauthorized idea.

Salahuddin Ahmed, who represented the BNP in the long negotiations of the National Consensus Commission, said that the party would issue an official statement in response to the chief adviser’s address. An emergency meeting of the Standing Committee has been called for tonight to discuss the matter.