Eight Islamist parties to submit memorandum to CA
Staff Reporter :
Eight Islamist political parties, currently engaged in a joint movement for electoral and political reforms, have announced that they will submit a memorandum to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on November 6.
The decision was made public on Monday at a joint press conference in Dhaka, where Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish Ameer Mamunul Haque outlined the coalition’s upcoming programmes. The event, held at the Khelafat Majlish’s central office in Paltan, was attended by senior leaders from eight Islamist parties.
Mamunul Haque said a mass procession will be organised at 11 a.m. on November 6 to deliver the memorandum to the Chief Adviser. “If the government ignores our demands, we will stage a protest rally in Dhaka on November 11,” he warned.
The coalition has raised five key demands — implementation of the July National Charter through an executive order and a national referendum within November; introduction of proportional representation (PR) in both houses of Parliament in the next national election; ensuring a level playing field for all parties to guarantee a free and credible election; visible justice for what they described as the “fascist regime’s persecution, killings, and corruption”; and a ban on the activities of the Jatiya Party and the 14-Party Alliance, which they accused of being “accomplices of dictatorship.”
During the briefing, Mamunul Haque said particular priority would be given to three of the five points — issuing an immediate order to implement the July Charter, holding the referendum before the next election, and refraining from making any further changes to the amended Representation of the People Order (RPO).
“We will not accept any new amendments to the RPO,” he asserted. The Islamist bloc supports the revised RPO, while the BNP has objected to it, opposing the clause that prevents one party from using another party’s electoral symbol within an alliance.
Following the National Consensus Commission’s recommendations on the July Charter, divisions have emerged among political parties. Expressing concern, the interim government on Monday urged parties to hold discussions and reach a consensus within a week, warning that the government would make a decision if they failed to do so.
In response, Mamunul Haque said he believes dialogue among political parties can resolve the ongoing crisis and that the next election should be held on the legal foundation of the July Charter.
Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher and Islami Andolan Bangladesh Ameer Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim (Charmonai Pir) also spoke at the press conference.
Other attendees included Islami Andolan Secretary General Yunus Ahmad, Khelafat Majlish Secretary General Ahmad Abdul Qader, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish Secretary General Maulana Jalaluddin Ahmad, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan Secretary General Yusuf Sadiq Haqqani, Nizam-e-Islam Party Secretary General Maulana Musa bin Izhar, Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad, Islami Andolan Presidium Member Ashraf Ali Akon, and JAGPA Vice President and spokesperson Rashed Pradhan.
Earlier in the day, the eight parties’ top leaders met at the Khelafat Majlish headquarters to finalise their joint action plan. The alliance comprises Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Khelafat Majlish, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, Bangladesh Nizam-e-Islam Party, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (JAGPA), and Bangladesh Development Party (BDP).