Jamaat-led alliance to launch protests if Constitutional Reform Council session not called by tomorrow

The Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance has warned that it will launch protests if a session of the Constitutional Reform Council is not convened by tomorrow (15 March).

Jamaat Assistant Secretary General AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad made the announcement today at a press conference following a meeting of the alliance's liaison committee at Jamaat's central office in Moghbazar in the capital.

Azad said the 30-day deadline for convening the session of the council under the July Charter will end tomorrow according to the calendar day count.

He said, "Tomorrow marks the completion of 30 days according to the calendar day count. If the government does not call the session of the Constitutional Reform Council or take steps to call it within this time, we have decided in today's meeting, after consulting top leaders, that tomorrow will be the final day for the government to convene the parliamentary session as stated in the July Charter."

He urged the government to arrange for the session to be called immediately. "If it is not done, we want to clearly say that you will not be forgiven by the nation," he added.

Azad said that if steps are not taken to implement the July Charter and no initiative is taken to call the session by tomorrow, the alliance will go for street protests with public participation.

He added that a meeting of top leaders has been proposed for 28 March to prepare the outline of the movement. The formal programme will be announced from that meeting.

Referring to the ruling BNP, he said the party took part in the interim reform commission and signed the July Charter. He said the party also demanded a referendum or yes-no vote on the same day and asked people to vote yes in public meetings, but later took a different position after forming the government.

Azad also expressed concern over the appointment of administrators in city corporations, saying it could lead to election engineering.

He also criticised what he described as administrative reshuffles and politicisation, alleging that capable officers were being removed and others were being appointed to serve party interests. He said the process should be stopped.