Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, the party's Ameer and Leader of the Opposition, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, strongly criticized the handling of the referendum and national election, stating that they reject and condemn deceptive and fraudulent politics surrounding the referendum.
The conference of district and metropolitan ameers was held Friday morning at Al-Falah Auditorium in the capital. Addressing the gathering, Rahman alleged that although both the parliamentary election and the referendum were conducted on the same day using separate ballots, the people's verdict was not properly reflected.
He claimed that more than 68 percent of voters supported the Yes vote in the referendum, but the result was not implemented. According to him, remarks from a former adviser of the interim government indicated that the actual outcome had been altered.
In his opening speech, Dr Shafiq said, History will one day conduct a post-mortem of this election. Many hidden facts will emerge then. He added that while his political alliance's failure to form a government was not the main concern, the real disappointment lies in the people's aspirations being undermined.
Shafiq further alleged that the election was not conducted fairly and involved extensive engineering. He also criticized the announcement of the election schedule from abroad, calling it inappropriate and inconsistent with the country's sovereign political process.
Raising concerns about democratic rights, he questioned how long citizens' voting rights would remain trapped in uncertainty. He argued that ignoring the referendum results marked the beginning of a new form of authoritarian tendency in the country.
The Jamaat Ameer also expressed dissatisfaction with parliamentary activities, alleging that the government failed to convene parliamentary sessions and reform council meetings within the stipulated timeframe. He claimed that opposition members were obstructed from presenting their views.
He noted that although 133 ordinances were placed in Parliament, they were not given proper discussion. Despite being the property of Parliament, these ordinances were selectively presented, he said, adding that the opposition staged a walkout in protest.
Rahman also criticized the lack of reforms in key sectors, including anti-corruption, human rights, police restructuring, enforced disappearance prevention, and the banking sector. He expressed concern over large-scale financial trafficking and the absence of effective accountability measures.
Highlighting economic challenges, he said rising commodity prices, fuel shortages, and extortion have put ordinary people under severe pressure. People are being squeezed from both sides, higher transport costs and additional unofficial charges, he remarked.
He further alleged increasing politicization in the judiciary and administration, warning that such practices weaken state institutions and undermine governance.
Calling on the ruling party, Rahman urged them to acknowledge their mistakes and accept the referendum results. We are ready to cooperate in the national interest, but we will not accept any violation of people's rights, he stated.
Addressing the public, he emphasized the need for greater awareness and active participation in safeguarding democratic rights. This struggle belongs to all of us. We must move forward together to establish justice and fairness, he added.
Senior central leaders and representatives from districts and metropolitan units attended the conference. Party leaders expressed hope that a more transparent, inclusive, and credible political process would be established in the future, strengthening the country's democratic framework.
Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami has finalised the names of 10 candidates for reserved women's seats in the 13th National Parliament, allocated on the basis of the party's proportional representation from 68 general seats.
A senior assistant secretary of the party confirmed the development on Friday, saying the final list of 11 nominees-including one remaining candidate-will be formally announced on April 20.
According to party sources, the list includes senior leaders from the party's women's wing as well as two representatives from outside the party structure.
Those finalised include Nurunnisa Siddika, secretary of the Jamaat Women's Wing; Assistant Secretary Marzia Begum; Human Resources and Legal Affairs Secretary Advocate Sabikun Nahar Munni; and Nazmun Nahar Nilu.
Regional representation has also been reflected in the nominations. Marjina Sultana from Chattogram, Mahfuza Khanam from Sylhet, Sajeda Samad from the Bogura region, and Engineer Mardia Momtaz have been included in the list.
In addition, Tasmia Pradhan, president of JAGPA, and NCP leader Dr Mahmuda Mitra have been nominated from outside the party quota.
Party insiders said the selection process was carried out through internal consultations and screening within the organisation to finalise candidates for the reserved seats.
