Abu Jakir :
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, along with five other Islamist and like-minded parties, has announced a new series of joint programmes to press home their five-point demand, including holding the next parliamentary elections in February 2026 on the basis of the July National Charter and introducing proportional representation system in both houses of parliament.
At a press conference on Tuesday at the party’s central office in the capital’s Moghbazar Al-Falah Auditorium, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar unveiled the fresh programmes, saying the initiative is aimed at creating mass opinion in favour of electoral reforms and accountability.
The declared programmes include mass contact campaigns, rallies, and submission of memorandums to deputy commissioners across the country.
Between October 1 and 9, Jamaat, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, and Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (Jagpa) will carry out countrywide campaigns, including seminars, roundtables, and opinion-sharing meetings.
Bangladesh Nezame Islam Party and Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan also announced similar campaigns, though some of their events will be confined to Dhaka.
On October 10, all six parties will stage rallies in the capital and divisional headquarters, while memorandums will be submitted to district administrations on October 12.
Porwar told reporters that the movement is designed to draw the attention of the government chief. “If the government chief responds and invites Jamaat for talks, we will place our arguments at the negotiation table. There is an opportunity to settle these matters through dialogue,” he said.
Regarding the much-talked-about change in Jamaat’s logo, Porwar confirmed that discussions were ongoing but the final decision was yet to be taken by the party’s policymaking forum.
The coalition’s five demands include: holding the next parliamentary elections in February under the July National Charter, introducing proportional representation, ensuring a level playing field for all political actors, visible trials of atrocities and corruption committed by the previous authoritarian regime, and banning activities of the Jatiya Party and 14-party alliance for their collaboration with fascist rule.
Meanwhile, Islami Andolan Bangladesh Secretary General Maulana Yunus Ahmad announced the same programmes at a separate press conference in Purana Paltan, criticising what he called the government’s slow progress in dismantling authoritarian structures.
He said: “After the July uprising, we extended our full support to reforms, justice and fair elections. But no effective steps have been taken to permanently eliminate dictatorship. Seventy-three percent of detained individuals have been released on bail, and we see no initiative to ensure a real level playing field.”
Jagpa Vice-President and spokesperson Rashed Pradhan also announced the party’s participation in the movement at its metropolitan office on Tuesday, while Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis and Nezame Islam Party issued press statements confirming their programmes.
Asked about Awami League’s participation in the upcoming polls, Porwar said: “The government has already banned their political activities. The Election Commission clarified that Awami League’s registration remains suspended, so they have no scope to contest the next election.”
The parties had earlier staged protest rallies in Dhaka and across the country on September 18, 19 and 26 on the same set of demands. This week’s announcements mark the second phase of their joint movement ahead of the February polls.
