Jamaat Ameer reiterates threat of street movement to press for July Charter

Leader of the Opposition and Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami, Dr Shafiqur Rahman, has said that if the demand for implementing the July Charter is not fulfilled in parliament, it will be “settled on the streets.”

He made the remarks while addressing a discussion organised by Jamaat’s Dhaka South unit at the Muktijuddho Smriti Auditorium of the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh, on Thursday (July 16), marking July Martyrs' Day and commemorating Abu Sayeed and all other martyrs.

Shafiqur said nearly 70% of the country's people had voted in favour of constitutional reform, as enshrined in the July Charter, in the referendum. However, instead of forming a Constitutional Reform Council, the government has constituted a Constitutional Amendment Committee. Questioning the government, he asked whether there was any provision in the Constitution for such a committee. He demanded that the government honour the referendum verdict by forming a Constitutional Reform Council, warning that the people would not accept any deception in the name of constitutional amendment.

He further said the nation had reasons to be both proud and ashamed. "We are proud of every achievement from 1947 to 2024. But we are ashamed because the fruits of our people's sacrifices have been snatched away every time. We will not allow the spirit of 2024 to be lost," he said.

Referring to the political changes following the 2024 July movement, he said, "Without the events of 2024, I would not have been able to speak here today, become a member of parliament, or serve as the leader of the opposition. Likewise, Mr Tarique would not have become prime minister, and the BNP would not have formed the government." However, he said the recent remarks by government ministers had disappointed the nation.

Stressing that those who govern the country must uphold minimum moral standards, the opposition leader criticised what he described as contradictory statements by ministers. He said one minister had declared in parliament that the ruling party supported reforms lest the election “was not allowed to take place,” while another had spoken about waiving the transport sector "tolls" to cross the electoral hurdle but later said no such waiver would be granted.

"This double standard, betrayal of the people, and political deception are harmful to politics," the Jamaat chief said, adding that such behaviour would erode public trust and confidence in political leaders.

He said the foremost demand of the July movement was to ensure that fascism could never return. "To block the return of fascism, the July Charter must be implemented," he said, warning that failure to fulfil the aspirations of the martyrs would make the state "ungrateful and dishonourable."

Speaking as a special guest at the event, retired Brigadier General Hasinur Rahman said the government had failed to honour those whose blood paved the way for its rise to power. Referring to the post-July uprising period, he said, "Someone has come from Shillong claiming to have led the July movement. But the July revolution was achieved through the blood and sacrifice of the students and people of this country."

The discussion was chaired by Mohammad Nurul Islam Bulbul MP, a member of the central executive council of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Ameer of the party's Dhaka South unit.

Manjurul Islam, who served as central president of Islami Chhatra Shibir during the July movement and is now secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami's Paltan thana unit, urged the government to implement the July Charter in line with the referendum verdict. He warned that unless the fascist state structure was dismantled, the people would once again be compelled to seek a change of government.

DUCSU Vice-President Shadiq Kayem said the dream of a new Bangladesh, for which students and the public carried out the July revolution, must now be realised. He said the July revolutionaries would not allow the government to continue under the old fascist system without state reforms. He urged the government to implement the July Charter in accordance with the referendum verdict before the revolutionaries were forced to return to the streets.