Jamaat, allies demand November referendum
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Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday said Bangladesh’s interim government has “no constitutional authority” to issue the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order 2025, arguing that only the President can do so under Article 152 of the Constitution.
Speaking at a press briefing at the BNP Chairperson’s office in Dhaka’s Gulshan area, Mirza Fakhrul said, “An order carries the status of law; its issuance is the President’s jurisdiction. The interim government cannot pass such an order.”
He termed the National Consensus Commission’s recommendations “one-sided and forcibly imposed on the nation,” alleging that “some provisions agreed upon by all were later altered without anyone’s knowledge.”
He also rejected the idea of a referendum before the next general election, calling it “unrealistic and ill-considered.” “A referendum outside election day is impossible considering the cost, time, and logistics,” he said. Senior BNP leaders Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Selima Rahman, and Salahuddin Ahmed were present.
Citing specific changes, Mirza Fakhrul said key clauses — including the removal of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s portrait requirement in government offices and the repeal of Article 150(2) — were dropped from the final version of the Charter despite consensus. “We only signed the declaration on October 17; the final document was never shown to us before printing,” he added.
Meanwhile, eight Islamist and like-minded parties — including Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Khelafat Majlis, and Jagpa — held a rally in front of the Election Commission (EC) and later submitted a memorandum demanding a November referendum and immediate implementation of the July National Charter.
Their five-point charter called for: Issuance of a constitutional order to implement the Charter and hold a referendum by November; Proportional representation in both houses of Parliament; A level playing field for all parties; Prosecution of atrocities by the previous “fascist” regime; and a ban on the Jatiyo Party and the 14-party alliance.
Jamaat leader Nazimuddin Molla warned the EC that “failure to hold a referendum and ensure fairness will make this commission face the same fate as the previous one.”
BNP, however, distanced itself from the demand, with Mirza Fakhrul insisting, “We will not accept any referendum before the election.”