Hasnat Abdullah, chief organizer (southern region) of the National Citizens Party (NCP) and Member of Parliament for Comilla-4, said that citizens have been hurt by the government’s withdrawal from the referendum process. Speaking at a street rally in Chandpur’s Baitul Amin Square on Saturday, he claimed that ongoing crises have made civic life unbearable, citing unemployment, rising prices of essentials, and persistent power outages.

Abdullah alleged that the government failed to deliver on its promise to create jobs within six months of taking office. He also criticized the increase in fuel prices, saying it was justified by the government on the grounds of the Iran-related war situation, yet electricity supply did not improve. He described the fuel price adjustment committee as a “decorative initiative” that failed to break syndicates in the energy sector.

On the referendum issue, Abdullah claimed that around 70 percent of people supported the “yes” vote but the government did not reflect the true results. He accused the authorities of “stealing the results” rather than the votes themselves.