“PR Will Be Enforced” — Warning from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami

Darwin, August 18 —Jamaat-e-Islami’s Nayeb-e-Ameer, Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher, has warned that the interim government will be forced to implement proportional representation (PR) in the upcoming elections, along with the full realization of the July Charter.

He made the remarks on Sunday at a seminar titled “Legal Basis of the July Declaration and Charter & Our Responsibilities”, organized by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh.

Opposing the plan to implement reforms after the election, he said, “Did we go for a 30-day picnic? The matters on which consensus has been reached must be implemented before the election.”

“The Interim Government Has Become a Ravana”

Taher stated, “Whoever goes to Lanka becomes Ravana. The interim government has turned into Ravana after coming to power. We have spoken of free, fair, and participatory elections. Now one party says they don’t want elections. So who is really against elections? Those who oppose fair elections are the true anti-democratic forces.”

Regarding the election date, he added:
“We have no objection to the date of the election. You may even bring it forward to December 13—we are always ready. But you (the government) yourself said reforms would precede the election. Then why are you shifting that responsibility to the next government?”

He warned, “Those who oppose reforms are against elections. Hasina made MPs with midnight voting; do you plan to do it after Fajr prayers now? That won’t happen. Democracy means majority rule. The people support PR, so why oppose it? If you go against the majority’s will, you are no democrat—you are fascist.”

“Where’s the Guarantee You’ll Come to Power?”

Referring indirectly to BNP, he said, “My friends say they’ll come to power and then implement the charter. Where’s the guarantee you’ll come to power? All parties are in the same line, except one. By the grace of Allah, just as there was a July revolution for the people’s welfare, there will be a positive revolution in the next election too, insha’Allah.”

He further remarked, “Various surveys show your support percentage is dropping. There are still five months left—for more extortion, for more killings. The percentage will drop further, insha’Allah.”

Warning the government, he said, “Those who installed this government have not gone home. Their spirit is still present. Otherwise, Hasina’s type would have already seized power again.”

“We Don’t Want Blood on the Streets Again”

Taher said, “The government must be compelled to fulfill the demand for PR. We don’t want to see blood on the streets again. Let us come together for dialogue and give the nation a fair election.”

“July Charter Implementation After Election is Unacceptable” — Secretary General

Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar said, “The incomplete July Declaration by the Chief Adviser is unacceptable to the people. Implementing the Charter after the election is also unacceptable.”

He continued, “How can laws be made without a parliament? By saying this, BNP leaders are speaking against the will of the people. One of their leaders even talked about wiping everything out.”

Expressing concern, he warned, “If elections are held under the current system, another Hasina will emerge. Hold a constitutional debate with all parties. The people will see who speaks the truth. Those who want to maintain nomination trading are the ones opposing PR. Yet, surveys show over 70% of people want PR.”

“We Need a New Constitution” — NCP

Akhtar Hossain, Member Secretary of the NCP (National Consensus Platform), said, “Political parties have held talks during past crises, but none of them implemented those decisions once in power. For example, BNP agreed to a tripartite framework in 1991 but never implemented it.”

“We cannot trust that the decisions of the Unity Commission will be implemented. Key constitutional issues—like the balance of power between the president and the prime minister, bicameral parliament—require foundational reform. Past amendments have been declared void by the court on these very grounds. That’s why we are calling for a new constitution,” he said.

“The Vulture’s Claw Has Fallen Upon the Nation” — Islami Andolon

Ashraf Ali Akand, leader of Islami Andolon Bangladesh, said, “Today, the nation is under the shadow of a vulture’s claw. We must rise against extortionists and land-grabbers. The trade in ‘ideals’ must end. There’s a vast difference between the July Declaration and the Charter—we don’t even know who authored the Declaration. It was simply read to us on that day.”

To the interim government, he said, “You are clearly favoring one political party. In 54 years, this country has seen vote robbery. PR is the only way out. We’ve talked about it for years. Yet the Unity Commission didn’t even discuss it.”

He also hinted at BNP, saying, “They oppose PR because they won’t be able to trade nominations under such a system.”

“A Popular Uprising is a Constitution in Itself”

Supreme Court lawyer and Jamaat leader Mohammad Shishir Monir presented the keynote speech at the seminar, detailing how constitutions have been suspended, formulated, and amended in Bangladesh’s history following uprisings.

He criticized the July Declaration, saying:
“The claim that the interim government is constitutionally formed under Supreme Court ordinance is completely false. There is no provision in the constitution for such an interim government. If you want to invoke the ‘Doctrine of Necessity,’ you must first declare martial law. Without that, the doctrine cannot be applied. You must declare the people’s sovereign power. With Article 106, a clear betrayal of the popular uprising has been enacted.”

Shishir Monir further stated, “A popular uprising is, by itself, a constitution. The collective will of the people is the constitution. Those who don’t understand this speak like fools.”

He added, “We’ve seen the draft of the July Charter. It contains many good ideas, but one line is extremely problematic—it says: ‘As much as possible will be implemented before the election; the rest will be implemented by the next government.’ We completely disagree with this.”

“Popular uprisings are more powerful than martial law. We have seen this in France, the USA, and other republics. Therefore, the full implementation of the July Declaration and Charter must take place before the election,” he concluded.