Dhaka, Nov 05 (V7N) – Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami has demanded a national referendum to provide legal legitimacy to the July National Charter, accusing the government of delaying the process. The party described the current situation as “a matter of national concern” and rejected the idea of holding the referendum alongside parliamentary elections, calling instead for the referendum to take place in November.

The announcement came during a meeting of the party’s Executive Council on Tuesday at its office in Moghbazar, Dhaka, chaired by Jamaat Amir Shafiqur Rahman.

The party emphasized that the results of the referendum should guide the scheduling of parliamentary elections in February. Jamaat also called on the government and the Election Commission to install CCTV cameras at every polling station to ensure a fair voting process.

Shafiqur Rahman returned to Dhaka early Tuesday after visiting Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Turkey. He was welcomed by the party’s Naib Amir Mujibur Rahman, A.N.M. Shamsul Islam, Secretary-General Mia Golam Porwar, and other leaders.

During his remarks, Rahman highlighted his eight-day U.S. visit, during which he met with government and private organizations. He emphasized that all Bangladeshi citizens, regardless of religion or ethnicity, should have equal voting rights. “After a long period of authoritarian rule, Bangladesh has achieved freedom. Expatriates’ voting rights are fundamental,” he said. Rahman noted that technical issues in the voter registration software remain unresolved, urging at least a 15-day extension to allow expatriates to register as voters easily.

When asked whether Jamaat would announce its candidates after BNP, Rahman said the party had already finalized local-level candidates a year ago. The final list will be officially released in due course.

Regarding coalition talks, Rahman indicated that Jamaat intends to contest elections as part of a broader alliance. He stressed that all considerations will be accounted for before officially announcing the candidates.

On the government’s one-week window for political parties to reach a consensus on the July Charter, Rahman stated, “Differences of opinion are part of democracy. We hope all parties can reach an agreement, which would benefit the government and the nation.”

END/RKB/AJ/