Jamaat announces 3-day nationwide programme
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has announced a three-day programme to press home a five-point demand, including holding the next parliamentary election in February on the basis of the July National Charter.
The Naib-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher announced the programmes at a media conference, held at the Al-Falah Auditorium of the party’s central office in Dhaka’s Moghbazar on Monday afternoon.
The programme includes: a rally and protest march in Dhaka on 18 September; protest marches in all divisional cities on 19 September; protest marches across all districts and upazilas on 26 September.
The five demands the party made are: holding the upcoming general election in February on the basis of the July National Charter; introducing the proportional representation (PR) system in both houses of parliament for the next election; ensuring a level playing field for all to ensure a free, fair and credible election; visible prosecution of the fascist government’s repression, massacres and corruption; prohibition of the activities of the Jatiya Party (JaPa) and the 14-party alliance, who were accomplices of autocracy.
In a written statement, Jamaat noted that the National Consensus Commission had discussions with political parties on 166 proposals. Of those, 84 were adopted. Several important decisions could not be finalised due to objections from one or two parties.
The statement also underscored Jamaat’s consistent role in advocating for legal recognition of the July Charter. It said, “Without enshrining a legal basis of the July National Charter, the uprising achieved through the blood of students and the people risks ending in failure.”
The statement further said the party has been reiterating its call for the election commission to take necessary steps under its announced roadmap to ensure a free, fair, neutral and intimidation-free election.
Citing past experience, Jamaat emphasised the need to prevent the influence of black money, muscle power, vote-rigging and malpractice, and pressed again for a proportional representation system to build a quality parliament with competent lawmakers.
The statement also claimed that most political parties, intellectuals, journalists, academics and professionals support the demand for a PR system in the parliamentary election.
Accusing the authorities of failing to act on public demands, Jamaat declared that only a mass movement could achieve them. “We place before the nation our five-point demand for a free, fair and credible election in February based on the July Charter, to establish the people’s right to vote and to build Bangladesh as a just and accountable democratic state.”
The press conference was conducted by Ehsanul Mahbub Jubair, head of Jamaat’s media and publicity division.
Also present were the party’s Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar, Assistant Secretaries General Abdul Halim and Hamidur Rahman Azad, and central executive member Saiful Alam Khan, among others.