The National Citizen Party (NCP) has ruled out cooperating with the government's Constitutional Amendment Committee, calling it illegitimate and accusing the administration of disregarding the referendum mandate.

NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain made the remarks on Monday while speaking to journalists during a Durga Puja greetings visit to Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka.

Senior NCP leaders, including Hasnat Abdullah, Sarwar Tushar, Nusrat Tabassum and Pritom Das, were part of the delegation.

Akhtar said the government's approach to constitutional amendments risked creating a fresh constitutional crisis.

"We will not cooperate with this Constitutional Amendment Committee in any way," he said.

"It has no legitimacy from the people. It has no legitimacy derived from the referendum."

His comments followed Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed's claim that the government could not advance constitutional amendments because of opposition non-cooperation.

Akhtar rejected the committee's authority, alleging that the government had formed it unilaterally to bypass the public mandate and produce a constitution reflecting the ruling party's preferences.

"The government should dissolve this committee and move towards national unity through the Constitutional Reform Council," he said.

He also urged the government to resolve the dispute surrounding the council's oath-taking process.

Ishraque resignation will not fix law and order: Akhtar

Turning to the controversy surrounding State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain, Akhtar said his resignation alone would not demonstrate the government's commitment to restoring law and order.

He accused the Home Ministry of failing to tackle drug trafficking, extortion and violent crime.

"The Home Ministry is dysfunctional. Bangladesh's borders remain inadequately secured, allowing drugs to enter the country," he said.

Akhtar also questioned whether the controversy over Ishraque brandishing a firearm was the sole reason behind the reported resignation move.

"Was Ishraque's resignation solely the result of his public display of a firearm, or did internal conflicts within the BNP also play a role?" he asked.

He described isolated resignations as cosmetic measures that could not substitute for effective law enforcement.

"Has anyone been arrested? Have the necessary legal measures been taken? We have seen nothing of the sort," he said.

Akhtar alleged that the government was using resignations to improve its public image while failing to address underlying problems.

"People will appreciate the government only when it addresses the actual problems," he said.

Nasir blames home minister, raises Hindu security concerns

NCP leader Nasir Uddin Patwary also criticised Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, accusing him of concentrating on constitutional matters while the country's law and order situation deteriorated."When Rome was burning, Nero was playing the fiddle," he said."

The country's law and order situation is in terrible shape, while Salahuddin is busy with the constitution."

Nasir defended Ishraque's stated intention to combat drug abuse but blamed the home minister for the wider failure.

"The home minister commits the wrong, while someone else suffers the consequences," he said.

"Ishraque bhai ended up falling into a trap."

He also raised concerns about the security of Bangladesh's Hindu community, alleging that the BNP government had failed to provide adequate protection.

"Our Hindu brothers are not doing well. The BNP government has failed to provide them with adequate security," he said.

Nasir referred to reports of vandalism over the past three to four months and urged the authorities to address the community's concerns.

He also raised the controversy surrounding cow slaughter at Jagannath University, calling for dialogue to avoid hurting religious sentiments.

"Please do not start labelling me a 'Shahbagi' or some 'new version of a Hindu' for saying this," he said.

He urged Muslim and Hindu communities to engage directly to resolve misunderstandings.

"They love you, and you love them too. Please do not do anything that hurts their sentiments," Nasir said.

"If necessary, sit down with them. They are also willing to sit with you."