Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Secretary General and former Member of Parliament Professor Mia Golam Porwar said that a referendum must be held to include the Proportional Representation (PR) system in the July National Charter. Jamaat-e-Islami will accept whatever decision the people give through that referendum. The PR system is a popular electoral method across the world, where every vote is duly valued. There is no scope for any voter’s opinion to be disregarded, he added.

He made these remarks while addressing a rally as the chief guest on Friday (October 10) afternoon, organized jointly by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dhaka City North and South units in front of the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, demanding the implementation of the five-point agenda, including elections in February based on the July National Charter.

He further said that if the July Charter is not given legal recognition, the fascist clique will sabotage the July Revolution. As a result, the dreams of more than two thousand martyrs and over fifty thousand wounded and disabled July fighters will be shattered.

He added, “If elections are held under the PR system, no party will be able to establish a one-party rule. If a level playing field is not ensured, elections will fall prey to corrupt, extortionist, and terrorist elements. The people’s voting rights will be snatched away through the influence of black money and arms. He also demanded justice for the fascist government’s oppression, atrocities, mass killings, and corruption, and called for banning the activities of the 14-party alliance, including the Jatiya Party, which collaborates with the dictatorship.

“The five-point demands raised by Jamaat-e-Islami are not a partisan agenda,” he said, “but rather a question of protecting the nation’s future and the fundamental rights of the people. In the interest of the country and the nation, I urge the interim government to fulfill these five-point public demands.”

He also called upon all political parties in the country to rise above partisan interests and build national unity. “There is no alternative to unity,” he said. “No one can defeat a united nation. He alleged that the Chief Adviser is simultaneously serving as the head of the interim government and the Consensus Commission, but some advisers are embarrassing him due to their partisan loyalty. “They must abandon their political allegiance to maintain neutrality,” he said.

In his speech as a special guest, Jamaat-e-Islami’s central Executive Council Member Saiful Alam Khan Milon said, “Those who killed, abducted, and tortured our brothers must be brought to justice. A united resistance must be built in the interest of the nation.”

Presiding over the rally, Jamaat’s Central Executive Council Member and Ameer of Dhaka City North Mohammad Selim Uddin said, “Jamaat-e-Islami engages in politics for the welfare of the people of this country. The five-point demand has been presented to prevent the rise of fascism. Once these demands are implemented, the path for the resurgence of fascism will be permanently blocked. He further said, “Those who oppose these demands want to strengthen the forces that threaten the country’s independence and sovereignty. The July fighters will never allow hegemonism to dominate the soil of this country.”

The rally, jointly hosted by Central Working Committee Member and Secretary of Dhaka City South Dr. Shafiqul Islam Masud and Central Working Committee Member and Secretary of Dhaka City North Dr. Rezaul Karim. The event was attended by Jamaat’s central Working Committee Member and Nayeb-e-Ameer of Dhaka City South Advocate Dr. Helal Uddin, central Majlish-e-Shura Member and Assistant Secretary of Dhaka City North Dr. Fakhruddin Manik, central Majlish-e-Shura Member and Assistant Secretary of Dhaka City South Delwar Hossain, Central Majlish-e-Shura Member and Assistant Secretary of Dhaka City North Mahfuzur Rahman, central Majlish-e-Shura Member and Assistant Secretary of Dhaka City South Mohammad Kamal Hossain, and Dr. Abdul Mannan, central Majlish-e-Shura Member and Assistant Secretary of Dhaka City North Nazim Uddin Molla, and Central Majlish-e-Shura Member and Assistant Secretary of Dhaka City South Md. Shamsur Rahman,

along with members of the City North and South Shura and Working Committees, and responsible leaders from various levels.

After the rally at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram, a massive procession began and marched through Gulistan Zero Point, Paltan circle, and Bijoynagar, ending at Kakrail. Several thousand leaders and activists from the central, north, and south City units participated in the march.