Unsettled politics returns to streets

Banglapress Published: 23 September 2025, 10:26 AM

Bangla Press Desk: The country’s unsettled politics has spilled onto the streets once more, as seven Islamist parties including Jamaat-e-Islami rallied in Dhaka on Thursday demanding sweeping electoral changes – from proportional representation to banning major alliances – while the BNP, the country’s largest political force, rejected both the demands and the street agitation. The Islamist bloc insists the interim government must legalise the July Charter, introduce proportional representation (PR) in the next general election, and disband the Jatiya Party alongside the Awami League-led 14-party alliance. BNP leaders, however, argue that such demands are unrealistic, destabilising, and not in the country’s interest as negotiations over reform continue. The competing approaches underscore a growing rift in the anti-fascist political camp just weeks after Sheikh Hasina’s over-15-year authoritarian rule was brought down by a student-led uprising backed by political parties across the spectrum.

Seven parties take to the streets On Thursday, the seven Islamist groups – Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, two factions of Khelafat Majlish, Jatiya Gonotantrik Party (JAGPa), Khelafat Andolan and Nezame Islam Party – staged demonstrations across Dhaka as part of a coordinated programme. Thousands joined rallies and processions from Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, the National Press Club and Bijoy Nagar, paralysing traffic from Gulistan to Kakrail and Purana Paltan to Shahbagh. Their key demands include: national elections under PR system, a referendum on the system, enshrining the July Charter into law, a level playing field for all parties, and justice for crimes, including corruption and alleged genocide, committed during Awami League rule.

Jamaat: ‘Otherwise another fascist will be born’ Speaking at a rally outside Baitul Mukarram Mosque, Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar warned that unless reforms were codified before the next general election, Bangladesh risked sliding back into dictatorship. “The aspiration did not fulfil in the July Charter. It must be brought under the legal structure. Reformation must be carried out. Legal and constitutional foundation must be ensured. It must be done before the national general election. And the election will have to be held under the July Charter,” he told the crowd. He added, “Otherwise, another fascist like Sheikh Hasina will be born.”

Parwar demanded justice for “genociders” before the 13th general election, accusing unnamed forces of obstructing reform. “We suspect that the government is under any pressure. A conspiracy is being hatched over the election. So, we have taken to the streets. It is part of politics,” he said, calling for a referendum on PR. Jamaat’s procession later marched from the Press Club past the High Court to Shahbagh. Islami Andolan: ‘Hold a referendum on PR’. At a parallel rally at the mosque’s north gate, Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s Nayeb-e-Amir Syed Faizul Karim, pressed the government for a referendum. “Please arrange a referendum if the consensus commission cannot decide on PR. If people do not vote for PR, we will not demand it anymore,” he said.

Faizul Karim accused foreign powers of meddling, pointedly suggesting India opposed the legal framework for the July Charter. “Are you reflecting the hope and aspiration of India?” he asked. “The interim has sworn in for reformation, justice and election. How will you hold the election sans reformation? How will you arrange the polls without visible justice?” he demanded, warning the government would lose credibility if it appeared partial. JAGPA: ‘We will not bow to Hindustan’ Rashed Khan, vice-president of JAGPA, declared the next election must be held under the July Charter. “The election without the legal framework to the July Charter will be a betrayal to the Shahids of the July Mass Upsurge,” he said outside the Press Club. “We will not bow down our heads before the Hindustan anymore,” he added, railing against alleged economic concessions to India. He also demanded a ban on Jatiya Party and the 14-party alliance. Other Islamist factions join in Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish leaders, including Secretary General Maulana Jalal Uddin, staged their own protest at Baitul Mukarram’s north gate, stressing PR and the banning of Awami League’s allies. Their rally, too, ended with a procession through central Dhaka. The day’s overlapping processions clogged roads from Zero Point to Shahbagh, leaving commuters stranded for hours. BNP pushes back While the Islamist bloc escalates pressure on the interim government, is refusing to join the street agitation. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said his party firmly opposed both proportional representation and banning political parties by decree. “BNP has repeatedly said that our message regarding PR is clear: we are not in favour of PR. There is no need for PR in Bangladesh,” Fakhrul told reporters at Dhaka airport on Thursday, returning from medical treatment in Singapore. He said BNP had already agreed on many aspects of the July Charter, but warned Islamist protests risked derailing dialogue. “I think there was no need for such programmes. The discussion has not yet concluded. Organising these protests at this stage only creates unnecessary pressure, which is neither good for democracy nor helpful in making the right decisions.” Fakhrul also dismissed demands to ban Jatiya Party and the 14-party bloc. “BNP is not in favour of banning any political party,” he said. Asked about his party’s role in Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’s upcoming UN General Assembly delegation, he admitted, “I myself don’t know what our role will be there, as I have not yet spoken to Dr Yunus or the foreign adviser.” On speculation of foreign influence, Fakhrul was categorical: “Our country’s decisions must be taken collectively by us. We have always taken our own decisions, and we will continue to do so.” He added that BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman would return home “soon”. BNP leaders demand reform of the reform process Elsewhere in Dhaka, BNP Standing Committee Member Abdul Moyeen Khan told a dialogue at the CIRDAP auditorium that the reform commission itself was failing. “Although the reform process has been ongoing for a year, no solution has been made yet. Basically, no solution is coming because the commission is unable to break away from traditional methods,” he said. Moyeen Khan argued that disagreement was natural in democracy. “If we cannot accommodate this diversity, I do not believe that the democratic process will work.” He noted that all parties had already agreed on 60%-70% of reforms. “If all the political parties and 180 million people agree on everything – then I will be worried, thinking there is something wrong here,” he added, warning against a return to Awami League-style authoritarian conformity. ‘Anyone destabilising polls will pay a price’ BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, after visiting ailing Gana Odhikar Parishad President Nurul Haque Nur, warned that no party would be allowed to disrupt the coming election. “If any political party creates an unstable atmosphere ahead of the parliamentary election, it will have to pay a political price,” he said. Khasru stressed that Bangladeshis had sacrificed too much over the past 15–16 years to allow instability to derail the democratic transition. “People want a stable situation and want to see Bangladesh return to a democratic order where everyone’s life will be safe,” he said. This article was originally published on Daily Sun. [Bangla Press is a global platform for free thought. It provides impartial news, analysis, and commentary for independent-minded individuals. Our goal is to bring about positive change, which is more important today than ever before.]

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[Bangla Press is a global platform for free thought. It provides impartial news, analysis, and commentary for independent-minded individuals. Our goal is to bring about positive change, which is more important today than ever before.]

Unsettled politics returns to streets

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