Efforts are underway to reach a political consensus regarding any potential decision on the removal or resignation of the President, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan today (Oct 27) said.

She made the remark on Sunday in response to journalists’ questions following a meeting held in the conference room of the Ministry of Textiles and Jute at the Secretariat.

“This is a major decision,” Rizwana Hasan said. “We cannot afford to rush, nor can we allow prolonged delays. Since there is an ongoing effort to build political consensus, we need to wait until that consensus is achieved.”

Responding to a question about BNP’s stance that the removal or resignation of the President could create a political crisis, Rizwana Hasan said, “Our position is to strive for political consensus on this matter. This is an issue that cannot be resolved in secrecy; any decision made will be transparent and public.”

She emphasized that while there is no scope for hastiness, dragging out the issue indefinitely is also not an option. “The faster political unity is achieved, the sooner we can make a decision. 

What that decision will be, I cannot predict, as the direction of the political consensus or the majority opinion is currently unclear. It’s impossible to predict the outcome at this moment,” she added.

When asked about the legitimacy of an interim government swearing-in under the current President, she remarked that such a move would not be questionable.

Addressing another query, Rizwana Hasan referred to the “doctrine of necessity,” saying, “This doctrine is an established principle globally, and constitutional continuity was our only option. While BNP is expressing concern about a political crisis, some within the party itself say they do not perceive such a crisis. The goal is to create unity among those demanding the President’s removal and those who argue his removal would trigger a crisis.”

BDST: 1411 HRS, OCT 27, 2024
MSK