Jamaat-e-Islami Threatens Mass Action if Bangladesh Interim Government Ignores November 11 Deadline for Referendum

Dhaka:

Bangladesh's political landscape faces escalating tensions as Jamaat-e-Islami issued a stern ultimatum on Thursday, threatening significant action if the Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration fails to address their five-point demand by November 11, according to local media reports.

Mia Golam Porwar, Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami, delivered this warning while speaking to journalists in Dhaka after presenting a memorandum to Chief Advisor Yunus.

Eight Islamist political parties, including Jamaat, jointly submitted the memorandum to Yunus demanding immediate implementation of the July National Charter and a referendum before the scheduled February 2026 elections.

"The July National Charter must be implemented without delay, and a referendum must be conducted. Otherwise, Dhaka will witness a different scenario on November 11 with hundreds of thousands of people gathering. The government should take preemptive measures regarding this matter," Porwar stated, as quoted by the Bangladeshi daily Dhaka Tribune.

Earlier that day, supporters and members of the eight-party alliance congregated at Purana Paltan intersection in Dhaka and launched a protest march, which police forces obstructed near Matsya Bhaban in the capital.

The demonstration aimed to advance their five-point demands, which include conducting a referendum prior to elections and issuing an order to implement the July Charter.

Reports indicate that despite police intervention, senior representatives from the eight-party alliance successfully reached the Chief Advisor's office to deliver their memorandum.

At the rally, Jamaat leader Abdullah Mohammad Taher emphasized the necessity for holding a referendum before national elections, stating, "Even after the election schedule announcement, no legal obstacle exists to conducting a referendum. Any postponement in this regard will jeopardize the interim government."

"Some argue that a referendum would be costly. However, the amount of extortion occurring in Bangladesh in just one day could finance a referendum. Therefore, funding won't be a problem," he remarked, indirectly criticizing the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which has advocated for holding the referendum simultaneously with the national elections in February 2026.

Bangladesh continues to experience increasing uncertainty and political instability ahead of next year's election.

The political factions that previously collaborated with Yunus to remove the democratically elected Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina now find themselves in disagreement over proposed reforms.