Khosru says referendum under Constitution only possible after parliamentary approvalSenior BNP leader Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has argued that under the existing Constitution, any national referendum can only be held after it is legislated by parliament, cautioning against bypassing established processes. On Saturday, he said the interim government was formed and the administration took oath “under the existing Constitution” and it contains “no provision” for a referendum. Khosru expressed concern over rising “authoritarian” tendencies within political parties, stressing the importance of consensus: “Among our political parties, there is somehow an authoritarian mindset. Reform must guide politics forward.”Azad added, “If a referendum is held first, it will be the real acid test for the administration and Election Commission. Spending Tk 1–1.5 billion for a referendum in public interest is no waste.”Chief Advisor Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam echoed that if political parties fail to decide, the government will take charge of elections and referendum.
