Holding referendum before national polls illogical: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has criticised the recommendations made by the National Consensus Commission for implementing the July Charter, saying they were imposed unilaterally and forced upon the nation. He also described holding a referendum before the national elections as illogical and ill-considered.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday (30 October) at the BNP Chairperson’s political office in Gulshan, Fakhrul said that if necessary, the party would take the proposed recommendations on the July Charter to the Chief Adviser.

Mirza Fakhrul stated, “The Chief Adviser has announced that the elections will be held in the first half of February 2026. In this context, holding a proposed referendum before the elections is not feasible. Due to time constraints, the enormous cost of conducting such an election, and the deployment of extensive law enforcement and manpower, a referendum prior to the parliamentary election—a massive undertaking—is unnecessary, illogical, and ill-considered.”

The press conference was attended by several BNP Standing Committee members, including Abdul Moin Khan, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Salauddin Ahmed, and Nazrul Islam Khan.