Eight parties including jamaat will say ‘yes’ in referendum: Golam Parwar

Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar has said that eight parties, including his, will vote ‘yes’ in the upcoming referendum that will give legal validity to the July Charter. He added that the people will also be encouraged to vote ‘yes’.

Speaking at a joint press conference at Al Falah Auditorium near the party’s central office in Moghbazar on Sunday afternoon, November 16, Golam Porwar made the remarks. The press conference was organised by the eight parties currently engaged in political movement considering the prevailing political situation.

Golam Porwar said the eight parties have supported reforms from the beginning. But one party opposed several important fundamental reforms. Therefore, the nation is being urged to vote ‘yes’ in favour of reforms. He said the government should make public what existed earlier and what reforms are being introduced—through the Election Commission’s website, distribution of leaflets and national media.

In response to a journalist’s question, the Jamaat secretary general said the online activist groups of one party are already campaigning for a ‘no’ vote. Through this, the nation has come to know who opposes reforms. The entire nation supports reforms, he said, adding that those who oppose them will surely be rejected.

Earlier, Jamaat’s Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher said three advisers are giving the head of government wrong information and working on behalf of one political party.

When asked today who those three advisers are, Golam Porwar said the eight parties have information and evidence about them, which will be disclosed at the appropriate time if needed. He urged the government to remain alert and the Chief Adviser to maintain his neutrality.

Speaking at an event in Chapainawabganj on Saturday, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir had accused Jamaat of misleading the public, asking, “Why are you deceiving the people? Become better.”

When asked about this, Golam Porwar said, “What he said applies equally to him from our eight parties. This is our request to him.”

The International Crimes Tribunal will announce tomorrow Monday the verdict in the case of crimes against humanity against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted in the mass uprising of ’24.

Responding to a question on whether the eight parties will announce any programme over the verdict, Golam Porwar said the eight parties were on the streets during the previous anti-fascism programmes and will remain on the streets tomorrow as well. No acts of sabotage will be allowed, he added.