On Thursday, 17 July, at 12:00 PM, a press conference was held at the Abdus Salam Hall of the National Press Club ahead of the upcoming National Rally scheduled for 19 July at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital, Dhaka. The conference was presided over by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Secretary General and former MP Professor Mia Golam Porwar.
Among others, Assistant Secretary Generals Maulana ATM Masum, Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan, former MP Dr. Hamidur Rahman Azad, Maulana Abdul Halim, Advocate Moazzem Hossain Helal, Advocate Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair; Central Executive Council Member and Secretary of the Central Publicity and Media Department Matiur Rahman Akanda; Central Executive Council Member and Dhaka South City Ameer Nurul Islam Bulbul, and central executive council member and Dhaka North City Ameer Mohammad Selim Uddin, central working committee member and Dhaka South city Jamaat secretary Dr. Shafiqul Islam Masud, Assistant Secretary of Dhaka city South Delwar Hossain and Assistant Secretary of Dhaka North City Yasin Arafat; Dhaka City North’s Publicity Secretary Ataur Rahman Sarkar, former Central President of Islami Chhatrashibir Manjurul Islam; and Assistant Publicity Secretary of Dhaka South Abdus Sattar Sumon were present during the press meet.
Professor Mia Golam Porwar stated, “In the 54 years since independence, we have been subjected to various forms of persecution and have lost our constitutional and political rights. After the political shift following the July 2024 uprising, we are now enjoying some freedom of speech, political liberty, and constitutional rights, and have been granted the opportunity to organize this national rally. For this, we express our gratitude to Almighty Allah. Alhamdulillah. We also express our sincere appreciation to the citizens of the country, the media, and the administration for their cooperation in arranging this rally.”
He further stated that the National Rally, to be held at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan, will be presided over by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, a beloved leader of millions and a visionary personality for building a new Bangladesh. He mentioned that invitations have been extended to Islamic and patriotic national leaders, and they are also expected to deliver important speeches at the event.
He added that the historic National Rally is being organized to press for the realization of a 7-point demand, which includes: ensuring a level playing field for the conduct of free, fair, neutral, and peaceful elections, justice for all incidents of mass killings, implementation of necessary fundamental reforms, implementation of the July Declaration and Charter, rehabilitation of the families of those martyred or injured in the July uprising, holding the national election under a Proportional Representation (PR) system and facilitating voting rights for over one crore (10 million) expatriates.
He stated that to ensure a free and fair election, it is essential to establish the necessary level playing field. Secondly, justice must be ensured for those who were killed at the hands of the fascists. The perpetrators of this mass killing must be brought to justice without delay. One of the primary demands of our National Rally is that this justice process must be visibly underway before the upcoming election.
He emphasized that, to ensure a fair election, several fundamental reforms must be implemented in various organs and institutions of the state in accordance with public aspirations. Since the July mass uprising, the people of the country have been demanding these reforms. The existing state structure, which gave birth to fascism and snatched away people’s fundamental human rights, imposed an authoritarian and brutal regime. To prevent the recurrence of such authoritarian rule, reforming the state structure through a National Consensus Commission must be made successful.
Jamaat-e-Islami is contributing to this national unity by supporting the Consensus Commission. We believe no conspiracy should be allowed to hinder this reform process. Without reform, elections will not be fair, rather a new era of fascism will begin. The people will not accept another farcical election under the guise of democracy. Therefore, the reform process must be completed for the sake of a free and fair election.
Acknowledging the sacrifices of the martyrs and the injured of July, he said:
“The rehabilitation of the martyrs and the wounded is still incomplete. Their tears, their cries, their grief continue. Many are suffering at home without treatment; some are still hospitalized; others are undergoing treatment abroad. We will also highlight their rehabilitation demands from the National Rally platform.”
Regarding the Proportional Representation (PR) electoral system, he stated:
“We have previously demanded that the national election be held under the PR system. This demand will once again be raised from our rally. We believe that if elections are held under the PR system, the influence of black money and muscle power will be reduced. Voters will be able to cast their votes freely and without fear. Qualified and experienced individuals will have the opportunity to be elected to Parliament, resulting in the formation of a truly capable and quality legislature.”
He further stated: “We have more than ten million expatriate citizens. Their voting rights must be ensured. Jamaat-e-Islami has already submitted a formal written request to the government regarding this. Alhamdulillah, the Election Commission has already begun working on this matter.”
He also added: “We will present the logical demand for local elections to be held before the national elections at this rally. We are witnessing the failure of law enforcement agencies to play their due roles. People are being killed mercilessly. Dissenting voices are not being tolerated. National leaders will address these issues in their speeches at the rally to provide guidance and solutions.”
He concluded by saying: “Keeping these public demands and national aspirations in focus, Jamaat-e-Islami is going to hold the National Rally at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan on 19 July.” He further stated that in order to successfully organize the rally, a high-level central implementation committee has been formed, under which eight sub-committees have also been established.
He stated that extensive publicity campaigns are underway across the country through leaflets, posters, banners, and festoons. Such as, in Dhaka, mobile loudspeakers are being used to promote the rally in key streets, shopping malls, and other public areas. Meetings and processions are being held in neighborhoods and communities throughout the country. Mobile cultural teams are also spreading the message of the rally through songs and short dramas to reach the wider public.
He added that approximately 6,000 volunteers will be deployed across 20 key points, assigned to different responsibilities. Volunteers will wear special uniforms for identification. For those coming from outside Dhaka and from neighboring districts, at least 15 parking locations have been arranged already.
He said, “Considering the overwhelming response we are receiving from across the country and surrounding districts, we believe people will flood into the capital from every direction—by rail, river, and road, Insha’Allah.” Efforts are being made to ensure safety at these parking locations, where volunteers will also be stationed. In and around Suhrawardy Udyan, 15 medical booths will be set up to provide basic healthcare services. Each booth will be staffed with two MBBS doctors and equipped with multiple beds. Arrangements have also been made for emergency medicines and ambulance services.
He stated that the rally's activities will be supported by an IT team. High-quality video will be recorded using drone-to-drone cameras, and the footage will be broadcast live on LED screens at the rally venue and streamed on Facebook, YouTube, and other social media platforms.
He further noted that written requests have been submitted to the Honorable Home Affairs Advisor, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner, and other relevant authorities, seeking their cooperation regarding crowd management, security, traffic control, and ensuring the safe transportation of attendees traveling from outside the capital by road, river, and rail. The leadership has personally met with these officials, and assurances of cooperation have already been given.
He said, “According to our latest updates, a large number of people will enter the capital through various routes, including road, rail, and waterways. This may cause temporary disruptions to urban life, including traffic congestion. On behalf of Jamaat-e-Islami, we sincerely apologize to the people of Dhaka and the nation. We request your patience and understanding. We are working for the welfare of the country.”
To minimize public inconvenience, he emphasized that no city roads have been occupied for the rally. Instead, the decision was made to organize the gathering at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan.
“From this press conference today, we seek the prayers and cooperation of the entire nation, the government, and all government departments. We also make the same appeal to our journalist friends.”
He added that all attendees of the National Rally are urged to remain disciplined and present throughout the event—even in the event of rain. This call had been made earlier and is being reiterated through today’s press conference. “Through this briefing, we’ve tried to present before the nation the purpose and logistical arrangements of our National Rally,” he said.
In conclusion, he made a heartfelt appeal to all journalists in the media, members of the administration, and the people of the country to actively support and participate in the peaceful and disciplined execution of Jamaat-e-Islami’s National Rally on 19 July.
The press conference concluded with thanks to all and prayers for the successful outcome of the National Rally.
