Eight parties set to stage mass rally over 5-point demand

Eight political parties involved in a joint movement are set to hold a mass rally at Dhaka’s Paltan area this afternoon to press home their five-point demand, including the restoration of the referendum system.

The rally, initiated by several Islamist parties, will take place from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

The participating parties are Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, Khelafat Majlis, Nezame Islam Party, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, Bangladesh Development Party and Jatiya Ganotantrik Party (JAGPA).

Ahead of the rally, leaders of the eight parties held a coordination meeting on Monday (10 November) at the Paltan office of Islami Andolan Bangladesh.

After the meeting, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad told reporters that they expect a massive turnout.

“We expect not thousands, but hundreds of thousands of people to attend Tuesday’s rally. People from the capital and surrounding areas will join. If the government understands the will of the people, a strong message will emerge from this gathering,” he said.

Azad said the movement has now entered its fifth phase. A memorandum was submitted on 6 November, and today’s rally is part of the ongoing programme. He stated that the platform is not a political alliance but a joint initiative to realise what he described as fundamental public demands.

He said the schedule has been kept short to avoid public inconvenience. “The programme will strictly run from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm,” he added.

While talking about the relation with BNP, Azad said, “BNP has said they will not respond to Jamaat’s call. But we are clearly saying that if they call us, we will respond. We will continue our efforts through both dialogue and movement.”

Regarding the Consensus Commission, Azad said the dialogue has not failed. “A charter was prepared and signed during the discussions. The main question now is its implementation,” he said.

On the referendum issue, Azad said there used to be a provision for a referendum in the constitution, but it was later removed. He alleged that those opposing the proposal are supporting undemocratic practices.

Organisers said further programmes will be announced to press for the five-point demand.