Jatiya Party chief GM Quader asks voters to back ‘plough’ to end ‘anarchy’ in Bangladesh

The veteran politician claims his party remained active throughout the July Uprising and warns that the proposed constitutional changes could lead to national instability

Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader has called for an end to the "politics of hatred and division" that he believes has pitted the nation's 180 million people against one another.

He said in a video message released on Monday that “an inhumane state of extreme disparity and control has been established under the guise of justice and equality”.

The Jatiya Party chief shared these views via his personal and the party's verified Facebook pages during the late-night broadcast.

While several political leaders addressed the nation on BTV that day, Quader was notably absent from the state broadcaster.

In his social media post, he described the motherland as a "valley of death" where opponents are killed in broad daylight and bodies are set ablaze.

He pointed to reports of minorities’ homes and shops being looted and torched while the state remained “indifferent”.

The veteran politician noted that even when destruction is announced on social media, authorities fail to act, calling it a precursor to a "failed state”.

Describing the country’s current condition as "critical," he said the economy is under threat with hundreds of factories closing and unemployment rising.

He added that the true state of bank reserves remains unknown while borders are slipping from national control.

Quader also expressed concern for women's rights, terming them as "foreigners in their own land”.

Quader said the nation's cultural heritage, including folk music and poetry, is being stifled, while women’s education and professional mobility are under “threat”.

Seeking votes for the “plough” symbol to break these shackles, the Jatiya Party chief said: “We want to build a Bangladesh where a woman is not harassed for her attire and a teacher is not beaten by a student.”

He argued that the rights of Bauls, artists, and dissenters must be protected.

Claiming there are only "two sides" in this election -- the forces of the 1971 Liberation War and their opponents -- he insisted that voting for the “plough” is the only way to restore a “democratic Bangladesh”.

CALL FOR ‘NO’ VOTE

On the July Uprising that ousted the Awami League, Quader claimed both he and his party were involved from start to finish.

He noted that two party workers, “Mirajul and Manik”, were killed in Rangpur, while others faced imprisonment and torture.

While he agreed that state and constitutional reforms are necessary to honour the martyrs’ dreams, he maintained these must occur through a "transparent, constitutional process" involving an elected parliament.

Urging a “No” vote in the referendum, Quader said reform proposals driven by “opaque, unlawful processes to serve pre-set agendas were unacceptable”, accusing the current yes-no vote of using the emotions surrounding the movement’s sacrifices.

He warned that “misleading statements” have concealed 38 constitutional amendments, creating potential for conflict and undermining political stability.

The National Consensus Commission has categorised 48 of the 84 reform proposals in the July Charter as requiring constitutional amendments, with the remaining items to be implemented through laws, ordinances, rules, executive orders.

The referendum is being held to seek public consent on implementing the 48 constitutional reform proposals outlined in the Charter.