Home
+
Published : 14 Nov 2025, 05:41 PM
Eight Islamist political parties have announced a three-point list of demands, including a separate date for the July National Charter referendum and the resignations of three advisors to the interim government.
Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher placed the demand on behalf of the parties at a press conference on Friday morning.
“We want to make clear that a separate date needs to be immediately set for holding the referendum,” he said.
The parties sat to discuss and give a reaction to Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus’s address to the nation on Thursday. The televised speech stated parliamentary elections and a referendum would be held on the same day in February.
Following the meeting, Jamaat deputy chief Taher demanded the resignations of three advisors who he claimed are “misleading” the chief advisor.
“We would rather not name them here. But we will send their names to the chief advisor,’ he said.
The third demand urged the government to place “honest people who are accountable” in the administration amid the ongoing reshuffle.
The parties say they will set their next course of action after a meeting on Nov 16.
The parties—Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Khelafat Majlis, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon, Bangladesh Nezam-E-Islam Party, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (JAGPA), and Bangladesh Development Party—have been waging a joint movement for the past four months to implement the July Charter and hold a referendum on it by the end of November.
The parties also demanded electoral reforms such as the introduction of a proportional representation (PR) system.
On Tuesday, the parties had given a deadline to the government to issue an order to implement the July National Charter, threatening to stage a sit-in in front of the State Guest House Jamuna on Sunday.
The press conference on Friday was held at Al-Falah Auditorium in Dhaka’s Maghbazar.
On Thursday, the Advisory Council in a meeting chaired by Chief Advisor Yunus at his office approved the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order, 2025.
Later, President Md Shahabuddin signed the order, his office said.
‘BALANCING BETWEEN PARTIES IS NOT GOVT’S JOB’
In response to a question, Taher said the chief advisor’s speech expressed “loyalty toward a particular political party”.
The nation is frustrated failing to get a direction they were looking for in the speech for a fair election, he added.
Asked whether the chief advisor was taking a middle course to balance between the BNP and Jamaat, Taher said it should not be the responsibility of a head of government to “balance” between political parties.
“What matters is doing what is best for a country or a nation,” he said.
Taher found the cost-cutting reason behind holding a referendum and election on the same day “a lame excuse”.
He said the referendum loses its importance when held alongside the election, undermining the initiative of reformation.
‘DISAPPOINTING SPEECH’
The Jamaat leader said they were surprised to see many changes made to the recommendations proposed by the government's own commission.
“The changes he announced were not for the public interest but for the interest of one particular party. This led to widespread frustration,” he added.
The Islamist parties, however, noticed some firmness in the chief advisor’s stance on announcing the July National Charter Implementation Order. The BNP had opposed issuing the order, seeking to accept the Charter through an ordinance, Taher said.
The parties thanked Yunus for issuing the order, though they believed dividing the referendum into four votes would confuse people. The Consensus Commission had recommended taking “yes” or “no” in one vote.
People would find it difficult to consider all four options of votes, Taher explained.
‘AN ILLEGITIMATE DEMAND’
The Consensus Commission had refused to incorporate “notes of dissent” in the Charter, Taher said.
But a political party demanded to have their “note of dissent” incorporated, which Taher called an illegal demand.
‘ONLY ONE PARTY’S DEMAND HAS BEEN MET’
Taher, who represented Jamaat in the consensus dialogue, said: “The commission said once the order for the Charter is issued, any elected government that comes afterward must incorporate these reforms into the Constitution within 180 working days. And if they fail to do so, the reforms will be deemed automatically accepted.
“There was a scope to make the reforms automatically accepted. And everyone expected it to happen.”
“If a party after assuming power chooses not to implement it, and if there is no binding obligation, then the entire effort of the consensus commission would be rendered completely meaningless,” he said.
But the chief advisor’s speech did not entertain such an obligation.
“This too fulfils the BNP’s demand. They said it must be done, but the legal framework is not there,” he said.
‘3 ADVISORS ARE MISLEADING CA’
Jamaat’s deputy chief said, “Let me be very clear today -- three advisors are misleading the chief advisor in many ways. They are engaged in an ill attempt to direct the government, by supplying wrong information, in the direction in which holding a fair election is not possible.”
‘EIGHT-PARTY ALLIANCE READY FOR FEBRUARY ELECTION’
Taher said, “We want to make it absolutely clear we, the eight-party alliance, along with a number of other parties, are all committed to seeing the national election held before February, before Ramadan.”
He shared his fear that there were efforts to hold an election “with a predetermined outcome”, as happened during the 15-year Awami League rule, depriving the people of their right to vote.
“The conduct of the government is forcing us to believe that a free and fair election under this government is not possible. We have doubts about and a lack of confidence in the government.”
He said the parties have grown familiar with the incumbent government’s indifference to the demand of creating a level playing field.
“With the help of a few advisors, there is an attempt to politicise the administration in favour of a particular party,” he added.
