Zakir Hossain / Dhaka
Three Islamist parties— Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) and Khelafat Majlish— have announced rallies this month demanding proportional representation (PR) in the next parliamentary polls and recognition of the July Charter. Though the parties deny a joint movement, their schedules overlap: rallies in Dhaka on September 18, divisional cities on September 19 and nationwide on September 26.
At a press conference in Dhaka, Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher unveiled five demands: February polls under the July Charter; PR system in both houses; level playing field for all; trials of “atrocities, massacre and corruption of the fascist government”; and a ban on the Jatiya Party and ex-14-party allies. He warned of escalation if ignored.
BNP’s alarm: BNP leaders see the PR push as a ploy to derail democracy. Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said, “Doing anything without acquiring people’s mandate will disrupt democracy. Every party must seek its mandate from the people.” He stressed inclusivity: “There is no room for division based on religion, caste or personal differences.”
BNP adviser Zainul Abedin Farroque accused Awami League “ghosts” of plotting to foil February polls with “Indian support”. “All patriotic forces must unite against the conspiracy,” he said.
BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi called the PR movement a “master plan” to sabotage elections. “It will not benefit anyone, only create a terrible situation,” he said, citing the 2013 Shapla Chattar crackdown: “Sheikh Hasina made fun of the blood of Hefazat activists. Muslims cannot be suppressed through propaganda and genocide.”