Jamaat-e-Islami chief and opposition leader Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said his party did not attend the cabinet oath ceremony because the ruling party refused to take the promised reform oath based on the July referendum. Speaking at a press briefing after Jamaat and 11-Party Alliance MPs took their parliamentary oaths on Tuesday, he said the government’s stance disregarded public aspirations and disrespected the July movement that led to the February 12 national election and referendum.

Rahman explained that Jamaat had been invited to take two oaths—one as MPs and another for reform under the July Charter—but found that the ruling party had only taken the parliamentary oath earlier in the day. He said Jamaat could not dishonor the July martyrs and therefore abstained from the cabinet ceremony despite being prepared to attend. He added that Jamaat remains committed to avoiding government perks and will support any initiative in the national interest while opposing anti-public actions.

NCP convener and opposition chief whip Nahid Islam called joining Dr. Khalilur Rahman’s cabinet unethical, alleging election engineering and manipulation favoring the ruling party.