‘Yes’ vote in referendum will prevent rise of another fascist like Hasina: Ali Riaz

Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Prof Ali Riaz has said that if the upcoming referendum results in a victory for the “Yes” vote, Bangladesh will no longer see the emergence of a fascist leader like Sheikh Hasina.

He made the remarks on Monday while speaking at a workshop in Dhaka’s Agargaon, organised at the Islamic Foundation auditorium to raise public awareness about the referendum.

Ali Riaz said the referendum would determine the future course of Bangladesh for the next 50 years and stressed the importance of public participation in shaping the country’s political trajectory.

He also called on imams to play an active role in raising public awareness about the referendum.

Speaking as the chief guest, Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain said that once in power, rulers in Bangladesh have historically sought to prolong their rule through various tactics and manoeuvres.

“This has been the reality over the past 54 years,” he said, adding that the referendum would help bring an end to such practices.

He said the referendum would create an opportunity for both government and opposition parties to work together in forming key constitutional bodies, including a caretaker government, the Election Commission, and the Public Service Commission.

The adviser also noted that the Islamic Foundation has an extensive nationwide network and said strengthening it could bring significant benefits to the country and the nation. He assured that steps would be taken to upgrade the Islamic Foundation into a directorate.

The workshop was chaired by Islamic Foundation Director General A Salam Khan. Special guests included Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Monir Haider, Cabinet Secretary Md Abdur Rashid, and Religious Affairs Secretary Md Kamal Uddin.

More than 400 prominent Islamic scholars and field-level officials of the Islamic Foundation from across the country participated in the day-long workshop.