Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain stated on Sunday that the upcoming referendum will alter the trajectory of the nation’s politics, urging citizens to vote “Yes” to build an enlightened country.
He was speaking as the chief guest at a National Imam Conference held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Agargaon, Dhaka. The event was organised by the Islamic Foundation under the Religious Affairs Ministry to campaign for the referendum.
Addressing the gathering, the adviser noted that both the referendum and the general election are scheduled for 12 February. He clarified that while citizens are free to vote for their preferred candidates in the general election, they should vote “Yes” in the referendum to transform the nation’s future.
Hossain also dismissed misleading propaganda suggesting that a “Yes” vote would result in the removal of “Bismillah” or the status of Islam as the state religion from the Constitution. He labelled these claims false and urged everyone to campaign for the “Yes” vote from their respective positions.
The Adviser emphasised that a “Yes” vote is essential to ensure the protection of fundamental rights, the establishment of human rights, the end of autocratic rule, and the implementation of the rule of law. He called upon the public to create a “revolution” in favour of the “Yes” vote.
Speaking at the event, Professor Ali Riaz, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, remarked that every citizen is a candidate in this referendum. He stated that the referendum would provide guidelines for how the government should manage the country in the future and urged a “Yes” vote to ensure that oppressive, autocratic, and fascist regimes do not return.
Another Special Assistant to the chief adviser, Monir Haider, described the “Yes” vote as a representation of the July uprising, while equating a ‘No’ vote with fascism. He asserted there is no middle ground and that remaining silent would be equivalent to supporting fascism.
He called on Imams to play an active role in building public opinion for the “Yes” vote.
The conference, presided over by Md Salam Khan, director general of the Islamic Foundation, also featured speeches from Dr Anisuzzaman Chowdhury, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser; Md Kamal Uddin, Religious Affairs Secretary; Professor Md Shamsul Alam, Vice-Chancellor of the Islamic Arabic University; Md Mohiuddin, Director of the Islamic Foundation; and Joynal Abedin, former Principal of Tamirul Millat Kamil Madrasah.
The event was attended by over a thousand Imams and Khatibs.
