| Online Report : Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has warned that there will be “no national election in 2026 for those who refuse to recognize July Revolution.”
Addressing a massive rally at Dhaka’s Paltan intersection on Tuesday (November 11), Jamaat Ameer said that the eight-party alliance’s demands were “few but crystal clear.”
“Our first and foremost demand is the legal recognition of the July Charter,” Dr. Shafiqur said. “Those who reject the July Revolution will have no right to participate in the 2026 election. To see the next national election, one must first acknowledge the July Revolution — and to recognize that revolution, the July Charter must be given a constitutional and legal foundation. Without this foundation, no election can be held in Bangladesh.”
The rally, jointly organized by eight like-minded political parties involved in the ongoing movement, centered around five key demands — constitutional recognition and implementation of the July National Charter, holding a referendum within November, and ensuring a level playing field for all political parties ahead of the February 2026 general election.
Emphasizing the necessity of a referendum before election, Dr. Shafiqur said, “Every freedom-loving citizen of this nation has one clear message — a referendum must be held before the national election. All political parties have already agreed on this. So why delay? Once we have signed in consensus, it is only logical that the referendum comes first. It will lay the legal groundwork for the upcoming parliamentary election, which can then be held without any suspicion or dispute.”
He further said, “We want the next national election to be held in February, before Ramadan. No one should try to create confusion or shift responsibility onto others. The people will not accept excuses or deception.”
Dr. Shafiqur noted that Jamaat had participated constructively in the National Consensus Commission’s dialogues, offering no “note of dissent.” “We found the proposals rational and participated positively. A charter was then formed based on the majority opinion. Democracy demands that the majority decision be accepted by all. Unfortunately, some parties are now refusing to do so.”
Calling on the BNP to “abandon excuses and respect the July Revolution,” the Jamaat chief said, “If you cannot show respect for democracy under the July Charter, how will you uphold democracy in a national election? Show respect for the blood of the martyrs of July — those who fought, who were injured, who are still suffering. My brother Allama Mamunul Haque has said, we drove fascism away through struggle, and we will win people’s rights through struggle again. This is not any party’s victory — this will be the people’s victory, Insha’Allah.”
Urging all opposition leaders to listen to the voice of the people, he warned, “If you fail to understand what the people want, be prepared to face the consequences of your blindness.”
Dr. Shafiqur assured the public, “We will not return home until the people’s freedom is achieved. We are speaking politely, and we will continue to speak politely — but we will remain firm as the Himalayas regarding our demands. These are not party demands; these are the people’s demands, the demands of revolution — not fascism. The people of Bangladesh will never bow before fascism.”
Concluding his speech, he urged all eight parties and their supporters to remain mobilized until their demands are met, announcing that top leaders of the coalition would meet after the rally to finalize their next course of action, which would be announced “very soon.”
The rally was presided over by Islami Andolan Bangladesh Amir Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim (Pir Saheb Charmonai), and attended by senior leaders of all eight allied parties currently engaged in the joint movement.
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