Jamaat chief warns of street movement if July Charter not implemented

Leader of the Opposition and Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, on Thursday warned that if the July Charter is not implemented through Parliament, his party would pursue the issue through street movements.

Speaking at a discussion marking July Martyrs' Day at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh (IDEB), organised by Jamaat-e-Islami Dhaka South, he paid tribute to those who were killed during the July Uprising, including Abu Sayed, and said their sacrifices should be honoured through meaningful reforms.

"The July movement would not have been possible without the sacrifices of those young men and women. We must act responsibly to fulfil the aspirations for which they gave their lives," he said.

Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said those killed during the July movement had sought justice, an end to extortion and the establishment of people's rights rather than personal favours. He argued that one of the central demands of the movement was to prevent the return of authoritarian rule through constitutional reforms.

Criticising the BNP, he alleged that the party had moved away from its earlier commitment to reforms. Referring to four referendum questions publicised before the vote, he questioned why they had later become controversial.

"The nation is not incapable of understanding these issues. Political leaders should not mislead the people or make contradictory statements for electoral gains," he said, adding that politics requires minimum ethical standards.

The Jamaat chief also referred to the reported outcome of a referendum, claiming that about 70 percent of voters had supported constitutional reforms. He called upon the government to respect what he described as the public mandate.