Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Naib-e-Ameer ATM Azharul Islam said the July mass uprising did not take place to remove one party and put another in power; rather, it was carried out with the aim of changing the existing constitutional framework.
He made the remarks at a rally and protest of the 11-party alliance demanding implementation of the referendum verdict at the northern gate of Baitul Mukarram in the capital. Speaking at the rally held on Saturday afternoon, speakers criticised the government’s stance and demanded immediate implementation of the people’s verdict.
In his presidential address, Azharul Islam said if the July Charter is not implemented by accepting the referendum verdict, the government will be forced through movement. He also called on the government to side with the people.
Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis Ameer Maulana Mamunul Haque said the government is favouring ordinances that increase its power but is moving towards repealing ordinances that ensure accountability. He described BNP’s politics as opportunistic and two-faced.
National Citizen Party (NCP) Member Secretary Akhter Hossen said that while the government claims legitimacy by winning the parliamentary election, calling the referendum invalid is tantamount to deceiving the people. The constitution must be a reflection of the people’s will.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General HM Hamidur Rahman Azad said accepting one and rejecting the other between the parliamentary election and the referendum, both held under the same schedule, amounts to taking a stand against the people.
Other speakers said failure to implement the referendum verdict would amount to establishing fascism, and the people would remedy it through movement.
After the rally, a protest march started from Baitul Mukarram, passed through Nightingale, and ended in the Kakrail area.
