Jamaat says CA echoes party chief's timeline, criticises July Declaration
During the briefing, Taher also criticised the recently announced 28-point July Declaration, describing it as an inadequate reflection of public sentiment.
Jamaat-e-Islami's Nayeb-e-Ameer Abdullah Mohammad Taher said today (6 August) that the election timeline proposed by the party's Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has now been reflected in Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus's announcement of polls in February.
"We believe the timeline proposed by our Ameer has been met by the Chief Adviser's announcement," Taher said at a press conference in Dhaka.
During the briefing, he criticised the recently unveiled 28-point July Declaration, calling it an incomplete and inadequate reflection of public aspirations.
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"The chief adviser read out the declaration yesterday, but it felt like an incomplete statement. It failed to capture the aspirations of the people," he said.
Taher also argued that the government has yet to ensure a suitable environment for credible elections.
"Based on the July Declaration and the timeline announced by the chief adviser, all necessary steps must now be taken to ensure a free, fair, neutral, and acceptable election," he added.
He further demanded legal recognition for the National Consensus Commission, which is preparing to publish the July Charter. "The upcoming election must be held in accordance with this charter," he said.
Taher also criticised the July Declaration for omitting key historical events and groups.
"It ignored the 1947 independence, and made no mention of the Pilkhana massacre, the Shapla Square killings, or the 28 October incident," he said.
He also noted the absence of any recognition of Islamic scholars, madrasa teachers, expatriates, and online activists who participated in the July movement. "This is nothing short of a disservice and negligence to history," he said.
On 5 August, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus formally unveiled the July Declaration in front of the National Parliament, accompanied by leaders of several political parties.
Later that evening, in a televised address to the nation, he said the next national election would be held before Ramadan, in February 2026.
