Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has criticised the government’s decision to hold a referendum on the July National Charter on the same day as the parliamentary election, saying it does not reflect the public’s aspirations.
Speaking at a press conference at the party’s Moghbazar office on Thursday, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar said that holding the election and referendum on the same day is unreasonable.
He added that under Bangladesh’s current circumstances, the importance of a referendum would be undermined if conducted alongside the national vote.
Parwar described his comments as an initial reaction and said that the party would decide its next course of action following a meeting of its forums scheduled for the evening.
Responding to questions from journalists, he confirmed that the protest programme announced by the eight like-mined parties on Wednesday would continue. No decision has been made to suspend the activities. “Each party is responding individually for now. A collective decision will be announced after consultations among the top leaders,” he said.
Earlier on Thursday, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus announced that the referendum on the July National Charter 2025 will be held on the same day as the next national parliamentary election, scheduled for the first half of February.
He added that the Adviser Council has approved the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order, 2025, and that, following the completion of necessary signatures, the order will soon be published in the official gazette.
