Leaders of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and seven other Islamist parties at a rally on Tuesday said that no general elections would be held before the July National Charter 2025 was given legal legitimacy.
They urged the interim government to take steps for giving a legal basis to the July Charter before the 13th parliamentary elections planned for the first half of February 2026.
The July Charter, an agreement reached through almost a year of negotiations involving various political parties, was signed on October 17. But the political parties remain divided over its implementation method.
Jamaat and the seven other Islamist party organised the rally at the Purana Paltan crossing in the capital Dhaka to press their eight-point demand, including holding a referendum before the national election and holding the next general elections under the proportional representation system.
Islami Andolan Bangladesh amir Syed Muhammad Reazul Karim chaired the rally. Demanding a legal basis for the July Charter, Jamaat amir Shafiqur Rahman at the rally said that those who would not believe in the charter, the 2026 election was not for them.
鈥楴o general elections will be held before giving a legal basis to the July Charter,鈥� he added.
Mentioning that holding a referendum on the charter before the next general elections was 鈥榯he people鈥檚 demand鈥�, he said that why there was a delay in holding the referendum.
鈥榃e want that the next general elections be held before Ramadan, but before that a referendum must be held for giving a legal basis to the July Charter,鈥� Shafiqur said.
He also said, 鈥榃e will continue our movements until our five-point demand is met.鈥�
Islami Andolan Bangladesh amir Syed Muhammad Reazul Karim said, 鈥榃e will continue their movements so that the fascist Awami League and their partners could not return to power again.鈥�
He called on the Islamic political forces to remain united to resist the fascist political forces.
Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis amir Mamunul Haque said that they would wage tougher movements to compel the interim government to hold a referendum on the charter before the general elections.
A makeshift podium was built at the Purana Paltan crossing for the rally in which a huge number of leaders and activists of the eight political parties took part.
The programme was scheduled to begin at 2:00pm, but activists from Dhaka and nearby districts arrived at the rally venue from the morning in processions, occupying city roads near the rally venue and chanting slogans.
Due to the blocking of some key roads, the traffic movement was disrupted in the areas for several hours, causing sufferings for the city dwellers.
Khelafat Majlis amir Abdul Basit Azad, Nejame Islam Party amir Sarwar Kamal Azizi, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan amir Habibullah Miajee, Bangladesh Development Party president Anwarul Haque Chand, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party vice-president Rashed Prodhan and Jamaat secretary general Mia Golam Parwar, among others, also spoke at the rally.
On November 6, Jamaat and the seven other parties submitted a five-point memorandum to chief adviser Muhammad Yunus, seeking the implementation of the July Charter and calling for a national referendum ahead of the national election.
