Leaders of eight Islamic parties, including the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the Islami Andolan Bangladesh, on Sunday urged the government to hold a referendum by November on the implementation of the July National Charter and hold the next election in a proportional representation system.
The leaders of the parties made the demand at a joint press conference at the National Press Club in Dhaka.
They also announced to hold rallies and processions in Dhaka today, rallies and processions in all divisional cities on October 25 and rallies and processions in all district towns on October 27 to press the demands.
Khalafat Majlish secretary general Ahmad Abdul Quader read out a written speech in the press conference, where he called on the government to fulfill their demands by October 27. If otherwise, he warned, the parties would announce tougher movement programmes to compel the government to fulfill their demands. The eight Islamic parties were holding simultaneous programmes to press their five demands.
Besides holding the referendum, their other demands are introducing PR system in both lower and upper houses of the parliament, ensuring level playing field for all political parties before the next general election, making the trials of the fascists visible,聽 and banning the Jatiya Party and the parties of the Awami League-led alliance.
Jamaat secretary general Mia Golam Parwar, IAB secretary general Yunus Ahmad, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish secretary general Maulana聽 Jalal Uddin, Bangladesh Nejme Islam Party secretary general Musa Bin Izhar, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan amir Mujibur Rahman, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party vice president Rashed Prodhan and Bangladesh Development Party secretary general Nizamul Haque Nayeem attended the press conference.
