Referendum must be held before JS polls: Jamaat

Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar has demanded that the referendum on the July National Charter be held before the upcoming Jatiya Sangsad elections.

He made the demand while addressing an eight-party divisional rally at Madrasa Maidan in Rajshahi on Sunday, November 30.

Mia Golam Parwar said holding the referendum and Jatiya Sangsad elections on the same day would create confusion among voters and make it difficult to conduct a fair election.

He alleged that the gazettes for the election and referendum were published simultaneously based on the advice of a section of individuals within the interim government.

“The government's gazette is not a divine command. It can be amended if necessary. The referendum must take place first, and then the national election,” he said.

He also criticised the authorities for not publishing details of the proposed constitutional reforms linked to the July Charter, terming it a violation of the public’s right to information.

Claiming that a level playing field has not yet been ensured, Parwar alleged attacks on programs of the eight-party alliance, including Jamaat-e-Islami, in different parts of the country. In such an environment, he said, a fair election is not possible.

Referring to a recent public killing near a courthouse, the Jamaat leader said the incident exposed the fragile state of law and order. “In a country where killings take place in front of a court, there is no guarantee against vote rigging or violence on election day,” he added.

Mia Golam Parwar urged citizens to vote ‘yes’ in the referendum, saying it would “pave the way for an end to corrupt, violent and authoritarian politics.”

A message from Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Dr Shafiqur Rahman was also read out at the rally.