Khelafat Majlis withdraws from 11-party alliance programmes

Khelafat Majlis has decided to stop participating in any programmes organised under the 11-party alliance and will instead carry out its political activities independently.

It has become the second party, after the Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, to withdraw from the alliance's joint programmes.

The decision was taken on Saturday morning during the third general session of the party's Central Majlis-e-Shura, held at the Institution of Diploma Engineers auditorium in Kakrail, Dhaka, according to a party press release.

The statement said the 11-party alliance had been formed primarily as an electoral alliance, and with the election now over, its practical purpose had effectively ended.

Although Khelafat Majlis participated in several alliance programmes after the election, it has now decided to abstain from all future activities conducted under the 11-party platform.

The party added that it would continue efforts to build broader unity in the future whenever necessary for the interests of the country, the nation, and Islam. It also said its members of parliament would continue to perform the role of the parliamentary opposition.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Khelafat Majlis Deputy Amir Ahmad Ali Qasemi said the party would now announce and organise its own programmes.

Leaders from other parties would be welcome to speak at those events, while Khelafat leaders would also be free to attend programmes organised by other parties if they wished.

The session was chaired by Khelafat Majlis Amir Maulana Abdul Basit Azad and conducted by Secretary General Ahmad Abdul Qader. It was attended by Deputy Amirs Maulana Sakhawat Hossain, Maulana Ahmad Ali Qasemi, Professor Abdullah Farid, Professor Sirajul Haque, Maulana Syed Ferdous Bin Ishaq, Mufti Abdul Hamid, Joint Secretary General Jahangir Hossain, Member of Parliament Mufti Abul Hasan, along with other members of the Central Executive Council and the Central Majlis-e-Shura.

During the meeting, party leaders criticised the government, alleging that it had formed a special committee to amend the Constitution while bypassing the July National Charter and the full verdict of the referendum.

They accused the government of seeking constitutional amendments through its own process while ignoring the public mandate.

The leaders said the public wants constitutional reforms that would permanently block any return of authoritarianism or fascism. They argued that a Constitutional Reform Council should be established to fully implement the July Charter and the referendum verdict, warning that attempts to sideline the referendum's outcome would put the government in a difficult position.

They called on the government to respect the public mandate by immediately establishing a Constitutional Reform Council through Parliament and taking effective steps to fully implement the July Charter.

They also demanded faster judicial proceedings over the alleged atrocities committed during the July movement, the Shapla Chattar (Square) incident, and other actions attributed to what they described as fascist forces.

The meeting also decided to organise public rallies in divisional cities and district headquarters in September to press for the implementation of the referendum verdict and the July Charter. In addition, the party resolved to contest local government elections wherever possible.

However, the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis remains a member of the 11-party alliance.