Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Tuesday said that recognising the ‘July Revolution’ is a prerequisite for participating in the 2026 national election.
“Those who do not recognise the July Revolution, there will be no elections in 2026 for them. To give recognition to the July Revolution, the July Charter must have a legal basis. Without this legal basis, elections cannot take place,” he said.
The Jamaat chief was speaking at a rally organised by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami along with seven other political parties in the city’s Paltan area to press home their five-point demand.
The rally, which began shortly after 2 pm, caused major traffic disruptions in Paltan and surrounding roads, triggering traffic chaos.
“The demand of the people of this country is clear, a referendum must be held before the national election. All parties agree on the referendum, so why this confusion over the date?” he added.
Dr Shafiqur Rahman said the next national election will be held based on the July Charter. “When the elections are held, there will be no doubts or suspicions. We want the national elections to take place before Ramadan next year. No one should try to create smoke and mirrors around this.”
Jamaat’s assistant secretary general, Hamidur Rahman Azad, said that if all constitutional provisions are followed, elections are due in 2029, not in 2024 or 2026. He criticised claims that the constitution does not provide for a referendum, noting that the provision was annulled through constitutional amendments during the Awami League’s rule.
Jamaat Secretary General Golam Parwar said that almost nine months of discussions with the National Consensus Commission on constitutional, political, and administrative reforms have led to near consensus, but conspiracies have been hatched since then. He warned the government about potential disruptive plans on November 13.
Speakers at the rally included Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim (Ameer, Islami Andolan Bangladesh), Maulana Mamunul Haque (Ameer, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis), Maulana Sarwar Kamal Azizi (Ameer, Bangladesh Nezam-e-Islam Party), Rashed Pradhan (Senior Vice President, National Democratic Party – JAGPA), Maulana Abdul Basit Azad (Ameer, Khelafat Majlis), Maulana Habibullah Miazi (Ameer, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan), and Advocate Anwarul Haque Chan (President, Bangladesh Development Party).
The eight parties’ five demands are: issuing an order to implement the July Charter; announcing the referendum date before the election; introducing proportional representation in both houses in the next national polls; ensuring a level playing field for a free, fair, and acceptable election; and initiating visible accountability measures for past incidents of repression, killings, and corruption.
The parties also demanded a ban on the activities of the Jatiya Party and the 14-party alliance.