The date of the upcoming referendum must be changed and held before the national election to ensure a fair and credible process, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar said on Sunday.
“The government's order is not a divine message that cannot be changed,” he said while addressing a Rajshahi divisional rally at the historic Madrasah Ground, organised by an alliance of eight parties led by the Jamaat-e-Islami.
He alleged that the national election and referendum were scheduled for the same day due to ‘bad advice’ from within the interim government, which he said could trigger a major crisis.
The Jamaat leader warned the administration and law enforcement agencies not to engage in any plot to establish neo-fascism. “The people want a referendum before the national elections.”
Parwar claimed that the alliance of eight parties is expanding, with more political groups expressing interest in joining.
He said successive political parties since independence have been accused of extortion, corruption, and terrorism—problems that must be eradicated to build a new Bangladesh.
He said corruption would be shown a “red card,” while terrorism and repression would be eliminated.
Dissents, he said, would not be suppressed but given dignity, and Bangladesh’s youths would be developed into skilled human resources through moral, technical and production-oriented education.
