Dhaka: Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Masum Mustafa (Netrakona-5) on Monday criticized the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for allowing President Mohammed Shahabuddin to address Parliament, labeling the party as ‘compromising.’ “We who are elected by the people are here, the people vote for us not to thank a fascist or an ally of the fascist,” Mustafa stated during a discussion on the thanksgiving motion for the President’s speech at the beginning of the 13th Parliament’s first session.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Mustafa questioned the justification for permitting the President’s address, suggesting that if thanks can be given to President Mohammed Shahabuddin, commonly referred to as Chuppu Saheb, then it should be possible to express gratitude to Sheikh Hasina as well. He further insisted that the late BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia would not have permitted the President to deliver his speech in Parliament.
The Jamaat MP accused the BNP of shifting from a party led by an uncompromising leader to one that compromises by allowing the President, whom he claims is an ally of terrorists, to speak in Parliament. Mustafa noted that the President’s address was justified using a constitutional obligation as an excuse.
Recalling Khaleda Zia’s past comments, Mustafa mentioned her assertion that the 1972 Constitution would be discarded once a government representing the people was in place. He also expressed skepticism about the government’s commitment to the July Charter, indicating that while treasury bench members promise full implementation, there is widespread belief in hidden deceptions within those assurances.
Mustafa alleged that dissenting notes from the BNP in the charter had omitted significant elements, warning that implementation without these components would not fulfill the people’s aspirations. He further claimed that conspiracies were being plotted against Prime Minister Tarique Rahman by ‘dominant forces’ attempting to mislead him.
Expressing gratitude to those who condemned a recent attack on him, Mustafa thanked the Speaker, and the president and secretary of Netrokona district BNP, among others. Meanwhile, State Minister for Planning Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki discussed the July Charter, noting that his party, Ganasamhati Andolon, had submitted its proposal for constitutional reform to the National Consensus Commission on July 28, 2025. He emphasized the necessity of a national consensus for any transformation.
Joining the criticism, Jamaat lawmaker Ataur Rahman (Narail-2) expressed disdain for the President’s speech, alleging that it legitimized past fascist activities. He warned that thanking the President could deeply offend Begum Khaleda Zia’s spirit and commented on the President’s perceived strength or weakness, concluding that the latter seemed more accurate.