Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has warned that no national election will be held in 2026 unless the July revolution and its outcomes are formally recognized through a national referendum.
Speaking at a large rally of eight Islamist parties at Dhaka’s Paltan intersection on Tuesday, Shafiqur Rahman declared that the implementation of the July National Charter was a prerequisite for holding the next general election.
“If you want to see an election in 2026, the July revolution must first be recognized. Without legal recognition of the July Charter, there can be no election,” he said to thunderous applause from supporters.
The Jamaat chief reiterated his party’s long-standing demand for the government to issue an executive order to implement the July Charter and to organize a national referendum within November.
“Our demands are few but very clear. The July revolution must be acknowledged, and its legal foundation established,” he said, adding that the people, not any political party, were behind this call.
“Those who deny the legitimacy of the revolution will have no role in the 2026 election.”
He claimed that all political parties had agreed to the July Charter and therefore the referendum should come before the general election.
“When all parties signed the Charter, holding the referendum first became the logical step.
If the next election is held on that basis, there will be no suspicion or dispute,” he added.
Rahman also emphasized that the referendum was necessary to consolidate democracy after the July uprising. “The people of this country want a referendum before the election. That is the voice of the majority.
Democracy means respecting the will of the majority — but some are refusing to do so,” he said. “Those who reject the spirit of the July revolution will be rejecting democracy itself.”
He further accused certain political groups of conspiring to undermine the revolution’s achievements.
Without naming the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), he said, “Some parties are attempting to restore fascism by ignoring the July Charter.
The people have already overthrown fascism and will not allow its return.”
Calling on Jamaat and alliance activists to prepare for a sustained movement, Rahman said, “Our struggle will continue with full force until the people’s demands are fulfilled.
We are speaking politely, but we will remain as firm as the Himalayas in our resolve.”
He announced that the eight-party alliance leaders would soon meet to finalize their next course of action. “A new programme will be announced shortly,” Rahman said. “Be prepared to implement it with full determination.”
Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad, speaking at the same rally, argued that holding a referendum was constitutionally justified.
“The referendum provision existed before the 15th Amendment. Those who oppose it today are supporting fascism,” he said.
Echoing this sentiment, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish Ameer Maulana Mamunul Haque accused unnamed parties of attempting to “bring back fascism” by obstructing the July Charter’s implementation. “We shed blood to remove fascism from this country.
If necessary, we will shed blood again to keep it from returning,” he warned.
The eight-party coalition, led by Jamaat-e-Islami, has been pressing for the “implementation of the July National Charter through a referendum” before the national polls.
The coalition insists that only through the legal recognition of the July revolution can Bangladesh hold a “credible and inclusive” election in 2026.
