Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Ameer Maulana Mamunul Haque on Saturday expressed hope that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would not follow the path of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and would respect the people's mandate while moving forward with constitutional reforms.

He made the remarks at a civic rally held at Shahid Garden in Chuadanga city on Saturday evening.

Mamunul Haque alleged that the current government had betrayed public expectations regarding the referendum, people's verdict and reform initiatives.

He said the reforms were the outcome of consensus among political parties and the mass uprising, but the government had made a "cruel joke" with the people's mandate by amending the Constitution.

He said the people of Bangladesh had launched a liberation war against the rulers of West Pakistan in 1970 as they had ignored the people's mandate. Later, from 2014 to 2024, the people of the country ousted Sheikh Hasina through what he described as a historical punishment for disregarding public opinion.

"We hope that Tarique Rahman, the successor of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and Begum Khaleda Zia, will not take that wrong path. He will not follow Sheikh Hasina in any way. Rather, he will follow the path of Begum Zia and Shaheed Zia by respecting the decisions of the people and moving forward with constitutional reforms," Mamunul Haque said.

He added that if the current course continued without change, his party would also stand against it.

The Khelafat Majlis chief also said that if India, as a neighbouring country, respected Bangladesh's sovereignty, dignity and judicial system, handing over Sheikh Hasina to Bangladeshi courts as a fugitive accused of murder and facing a death sentence would be the only option for it.