Onus of implementing reform mandate lies with political parties: Ali Riaz

Professor Ali Riaz, special assistant to the chief adviser, said on Saturday that the responsibility for implementing the clear public mandate for state reform, expressed through the national referendum, rests squarely with political parties.
Speaking at a briefing at the auditorium of the Foreign Service Academy, Riaz said the referendum result made it evident that most Bangladeshis do not wish to return to the previous system or maintain the status quo. 
“People want change and reform of the state structure,” he said, adding that all political parties remain committed to the reform agenda.
He urged the ruling party, parties represented in Parliament, members of the Constitutional Reform Commission and political forces outside Parliament to work together to ensure that the public mandate is implemented. 
Riaz also called on citizens to cooperate and encouraged young people to take the lead in shaping the future of Bangladesh. Referring to the chief adviser’s address to the nation ahead of the referendum, Riaz said the public had responded decisively to that call. 
“The public mandate is in favour of reform, and this should not be viewed merely through numbers,” he said.
He described the referendum as a reaffirmation of the sovereign will of the people, which, he noted, had first emerged during the mass uprising of 2024. 
“That expression of the people’s will has now been reinforced through this mandate. We have no scope to forget these matters,” he added.
Riaz congratulated the winners of the parliamentary polls and the political parties concerned, while commending citizens for their extensive participation in both the election and the referendum. 
He said public engagement had helped thwart conspiracies and dispel fears of widespread violence. 
He also thanked all stakeholders involved in raising awareness and publicising the referendum.
Addressing the note of dissent raised by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party over the distribution of seats in the proposed upper house, Riaz said the BNP had played an important role in reform efforts at various points in the country’s history.
“Now the referendum has taken place, and the people are clearly saying they want implementation,” he said. 
“There are other issues which we believe will be addressed in light of the July National Charter by those elected with a majority, as well as by other parties. They will take steps based on their commitments.”
He expressed firm confidence that the elected representatives would take the referendum verdict into serious consideration.
Also speaking at the briefing, Monir Haidar, another special assistant to the chief adviser, commented on the BNP’s manifesto position regarding upper house seat distribution based on the number of MPs. 
He said it was true that political parties had placed their manifestos before the public and had called on voters to support the referendum.
“This is not just the government’s agenda; it is everyone’s,” Haidar said. “While a manifesto represents an indirect commitment, the reform proposals endorsed through a referendum carry the direct approval of the people. It can be viewed in that way.”
Meanwhile, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser Shafiqul Alam said the swearing-in of the newly elected members of parliament would be completed by 17 February at the latest.
“You asked about the oath-taking. It will be completed very soon,” he said. “At the latest, it will be on the 16th or 17th – it will not go beyond that.”