A day before the first session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad begins, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has urged the BNP MPs to take oath as members of the Constitution Reform Council.

Shafiqur, also the opposition leader, said his party does not want a deputy speaker’s post that has been offered “in fragments”. Instead, his party wants opposition-entitled positions based on the July reform proposals.

When asked whether the opposition would boycott the president’s speech in parliament today, he did not give a direct answer, saying that the opposition’s stance would be “visible” during the parliamentary session.

The Jamaat chief made the remarks while briefing reporters after a meeting of the parliamentary committee of the opposition alliance at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban yesterday. Elected members of parliament from the Jamaat-led 11-party electoral alliance were present at the meeting, which was chaired by the Jamaat ameer.

He said the meeting openly discussed what role the opposition MPs should play in fulfilling the expectations of the people ahead of the inaugural session of parliament.

“We want the Jatiya Sangsad to play an effective and meaningful role in meeting the expectations of the country and its people. We have already said that we want to play a responsible role as the opposition.”

According to him, the opposition’s stance is neither to oppose for the sake of opposition nor to cooperate blindly. The opposition will support and cooperate with any positive decision made by the government for the welfare of the country.

However, if decisions that harm the country or its people are made, the opposition will first point out the mistakes, allow room for correction, and protest if necessary.

“If protest does not work, we will stand firm in defence of the people’s rights. But we want problems to be resolved at the earliest stage.”

The Jamaat chief said many parliaments in Bangladesh’s history could not complete their full terms. This parliament, he said, was formed following a long political struggle and sacrifices.

“The movement of ’24 took place through immense sacrifice and endurance. Many people lost their lives, many were injured, and many were imprisoned. In honour of those sacrifices, we must establish justice and a society free from discrimination.”

The Jamaat ameer added that his party accepted the outcomes of the parliamentary election and the reform-related referendum held on the same day in the greater interest of the country.

Urging the ruling party MPs to take oath of the “Constitutional Reform Council”, he said, “We call on them to honour July...  Ignoring ’24 will not bring any good news for the nation in 2026.”

He said his party would work to ensure what the people chose in the referendum and extend full cooperation to the government in this regard.

Responding to a question about the deputy speaker’s post, Shafiqur said the BNP had informally contacted them on the matter.

“We thank them for that. But we don’t want anything in fragments. The July reform proposal should be fully implemented. That proposal states that one deputy speaker will come from the opposition,” he said.

At the briefing, the Jamaat ameer said the opposition wants to play its role in parliament through democratic means and does not favour going to court unless absolutely necessary.

“We want problems to be resolved within parliament through discussion and debate. If the speaker gives adequate opportunity to all sides, the beauty of democracy will emerge, and a sustainable democratic system can be established.”

Earlier, while speaking to reporters in parliament, Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammed Taher described President Mohammed Shahabuddin as an “ally of authoritarianism”.

“We believe the president has no right to deliver a speech in parliament,” he said, adding, “Why the BNP is allowing him to speak is not clear to us. We have made some decisions on this issue, and you will know about them tomorrow [today].”

Regarding the issues discussed at the parliamentary committee meeting, Taher said some guidance had been given to the party’s MPs about how they should act in parliament. “Since most of the MPs are new, we briefed them on parliamentary formalities, criteria, character, and language.”

Asked whether the opposition MPs decided to stage a walkout during the president’s speech, a Jamaat MP, who attended the meeting, told The Daily Star, “We will not decide hastily on any matter.”