Dhaka, Oct 24: Radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP) have demanded a referendum to implement the July National Charter before Bangladesh’s 2026 elections, amid escalating political tensions. Both parties met separately with interim government Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday in Dhaka to push their demands.While the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) supports holding the referendum alongside the national elections in February 2026, Jamaat and NCP insist it must occur beforehand. Jamaat leader Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher told reporters that all political parties have signed the July Charter and that its legal foundation and reforms must be implemented before the elections.
He said Jamaat proposes the referendum by the end of November to allow sufficient time before the polls. Taher warned that if the referendum isn’t held first, the February election will not be acceptable.
Jamaat also raised concerns about some of Yunus’s advisors, accusing them of bias toward a particular party, though no names were disclosed. Taher urged Yunus to be cautious of these advisors, emphasizing their confidence in the chief advisor himself.
Meanwhile, NCP Convener Nahid Islam called for reforms in the Election Commission (EC), demanding it be restructured per the July Charter’s legal framework or consensus.
Islam accused the EC of bias, stressing that a neutral commission is essential for free and fair elections. He warned that if the election is unfair, the government would bear responsibility, and he urged reforms before the polls.
Bangladesh remains engulfed in political uncertainty and turmoil ahead of next year’s election. Notably, parties that once collaborated with Yunus to oust the democratically elected Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina are now deeply divided over proposed reforms and the referendum’s timing.