Reporter Name 
Special assistant to the chief adviser and chief coordinator of referendum campaign, Professor Ali Riaz, on Saturday said there is no legal restriction preventing government officials from campaigning in favour of a “Yes” vote in the upcoming referendum.
He said those who sacrificed their lives during the July mass uprising did so to establish the rights of people, and the referendum is a major step towards realising those rights, according to an official handout.
Ali Riaz made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a divisional views-exchange meeting in Sylhet, organised to promote the referendum and encourage voter participation.
He said there is no provision in the Constitution, the Representation of the People Order (RPO), the July National Charter Implementation Order 2025, or the referendum-related ordinance that bars employees of the republic from speaking in favour of positive change.
“No one can show any legal reference to claim that there is a bar on such campaigning,” he said, adding that those spreading claims of legal restrictions are acting with ulterior motives and deliberately creating confusion.
Responding to questions about the morality of government officials campaigning for the referendum, Ali Riaz posed a counter-question, asking what morality could deny the blood and sacrifice of young people who laid down their lives for democratic rights.
The meeting was held at the Sylhet Divisional Sports Complex and was organised by the Sylhet Divisional Administration. Government officials from the divisional headquarters, districts and upazilas, along with representatives from various non-governmental organisations, attended the programme.
Criticising those who describe the current interim government as a caretaker government, Ali Riaz said the administration derives its legitimacy from the July uprising and is by no means a caretaker setup.
He said the interim government is working with three core mandates—reform, justice and elections. Elections are conducted by the Election Commission, while the government’s role is to ensure a conducive environment, he explained.
“This is an internationally accepted practice. Morally it is our duty and responsibility, and legally there is no obstacle,” he said.
Rejecting the notion that ordinary people would not be able to understand the issues involved in the referendum, Ali Riaz said people who led the Liberation War of 1971, the mass uprising of 1969 and the July uprising of 2024 are fully capable of understanding questions related to their rights.
“Such an idea amounts to disrespecting and belittling the people,” he said.He added that those who suffered repression under the previous authoritarian regime—through killings, enforced disappearances, torture, imprisonment and extrajudicial executions—have entrusted the government with the responsibility of ensuring an accountable governance system for the future.
Highlighting the concentration of power under the existing system, Ali Riaz recalled that in 2011 a committee formed to amend the Constitution had decided, after 25 meetings, to retain the caretaker government system with modifications. However, he said, following a single meeting with the then prime minister, the caretaker system was abolished entirely, based solely on the will of one individual.
Although the Constitution assigns the president the authority to appoint members of institutions such as the Election Commission, Public Service Commission and the judiciary, Ali Riaz said in practice these decisions are made according to the wishes of the prime minister.He said the July Charter and the referendum aim to put an end to such one-person authority.
Speaking at the meeting, Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Monir Haidar warned that while the return of the previous ruler may be unlikely, the return of fascism remains possible if preventive measures are not taken.
He said many parents lost their children during the July 2024 mass uprising, and if fascism returns, future generations could face similar tragedies. The referendum, he added, seeks to break this cycle and prevent the resurgence of authoritarianism, while fulfilling the fundamental aspirations of the nation that emerged from the Liberation War of 1971.
Sylhet Divisional Commissioner Khan Md Reza-Un-Nabi chaired the meeting. Among others, Religious Affairs Secretary Md Kamal Uddin, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr A M Sarwaruddin Chowdhury, senior government officials, religious leaders, civil society members, business representatives and NGO leaders were present.
