Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr.Shafiqur Rahman has warned that there will be no national election in 2026 unless the July Charter is given a legal basis. He stated that those refusing to recognize the July Revolution will have no place in the upcoming polls. “A legal foundation for the July Charter must be established through a national referendum before the election. Without it, no election will be accepted,” he declared.
Dr. Shafiqur Rahman made these remarks on Tuesday (November 11) while addressing a rally organized by an eight-party alliance at Paltan in Dhaka. The rally was held to press for five demands, including the issuance of a constitutional order to implement the July National Charter and holding a referendum within November.
“The July Charter reflects the demands of the people,” said Dr. Rahman. “Any delay in its implementation will lead to a grave situation.” He urged all political parties to understand the language of the people, warning that failure to do so would have consequences.
He added, “It is because of the July uprising that we can now speak freely in Paltan. The movement will continue until the people’s demands are fulfilled.”
Speaking at the same rally, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish Ameer Maulana Mamunul Haque said the July Charter should not be viewed as a mere document but as a roadmap for the future of Bangladesh. He demanded that the government immediately give it a preliminary legal status through an official order.
“Before the next national election, the July Charter must receive full legal recognition through a referendum,” said Mamunul Haque. “If this is ignored, the followers of the July Revolution will not tolerate it. We will not allow anything to move forward on this soil without a referendum that honors the blood of the martyrs of the July movement.”
Jamaat’s Secretary General and former MP Professor Mia Golam Porwar emphasized that ensuring the legal status of the July Charter is essential before any free, fair, and neutral election can take place. “Only after that should the schedule for the national election in February be announced,” he said, adding that this process would fulfill the aspirations of the people, uphold the Constitution, and bring peace and stability to the nation.
Professor Porwar further remarked that this massive rally at Paltan—held 54 years after the country’s independence—will stand as a milestone in the nation’s political history and as a symbol of unity among the Muslim Ummah and patriotic citizens.
Leaders of the eight-party alliance and representatives of their affiliated organizations were also present at the gathering.