Jamaat Criticises BNP Government’s First Six Months

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has criticised the BNP-led government’s first six months in office, saying it has failed to deliver any major achievement that matches public expectations.At a press conference at Al-Falah Auditorium in Moghbazar, Dhaka, on Tuesday, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar said the government had failed to make significant progress on issues including implementation of the July Charter, law and order, energy security, commodity prices and banking-sector reforms.He said the government should now be assessed on the basis of its actual performance, political commitment and accountability rather than its promises.‘No visible progress on July Charter’Mia Golam Parwar alleged that the government had not taken effective steps to implement the results of the February 12 referendum and the July National Charter.According to him, the ‘Yes’ vote received 47,225,980 votes against 21,960,231 ‘No’ votes. He said the government should have initiated the constitutional reform process based on the referendum result but had instead moved towards an alternative parliamentary process.He also claimed that none of the 30 major reform proposals in the July Charter—including limiting the prime minister’s tenure, introducing a bicameral parliament, strengthening the president’s powers, ensuring judicial independence and strengthening local government—had been implemented during the first six months.Energy crisis remains a concernThe Jamaat leader also criticised the government over the energy situation.He claimed that Bangladesh’s daily gas demand is around 3,800 million cubic feet, while supply stands at roughly 2,700–2,800 million cubic feet, leaving a daily shortfall of about 1,000 million cubic feet.According to his assessment, the energy shortage has affected industries, power plants and CNG stations. He claimed industrial production had fallen by around 40 percent, while about 20 factories had shut down and nearly 20,000 workers had lost their jobs.Questions raised over law and orderMia Golam Parwar also expressed concern over the country’s law-and-order situation.Citing data attributed to different monitoring bodies and the Police Headquarters, he claimed that 915 murder cases were recorded between March and May 2026, compared with 767 in the whole of 2025 and 794 in 2024.He also raised concerns over robbery, kidnapping, theft, violence against women and children and mob violence.Criticism over rising prices and banking sectorJamaat also criticised the government over the cost of living.Mia Golam Parwar cited Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics data showing that overall inflation stood at 9.16 percent in June 2026, while food inflation was 8.60 percent and non-food inflation 9.61 percent.He said that although inflation had eased slightly, the overall price level remained high, putting additional pressure on low- and middle-income families.On the banking sector, he said default loans had reached around Tk 5.88 lakh crore by March, accounting for 32.26 percent of total outstanding loans.He alleged that the government had failed to make visible progress in reducing default loans, addressing liquidity problems in weak banks or restoring depositors’ confidence.Jamaat calls for eight-point actionAt the press conference, Jamaat placed an eight-point set of recommendations before the government.The demands include: Publishing a time-bound roadmap for implementing the referendum verdict and July Charter Adopting a comprehensive strategy to address the gas and energy crisis Keeping the administration and state institutions free from partisan influence Taking effective measures to improve law and order Strengthening efforts for Rohingya repatriation and adopting a clearer foreign-policy framework Taking action against market syndicates, middlemen and abnormal profiteering to control prices Restoring discipline and confidence in the banking sector Recovering defaulted loans and ensuring the security of depositors’ funds Mia Golam Parwar said the people had given the government a mandate to solve problems, not merely explain them.He warned that if the government fails to overcome its shortcomings and deliver visible changes in the coming months, public frustration and the crisis of confidence could deepen.