Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar has called on the government to convene a session of the proposed Constitution Reform Council in Parliament, saying the move could help ease the country’s political tensions and advance constitutional reforms.
Speaking to reporters on Friday after attending a party members’ conference at the Narsingdi Shishu Academy auditorium, Golam Porwar said, “Parliament should take forward the reform process in accordance with the July Charter and the outcome of the referendum that he said provided its legal foundation.”
He also said that if Parliament did not initiate the constitutional reform process, his party would have no alternative but to organise protests.
Golam Porwar argued that constitutional changes based on the outcome of the referendum could address the present political impasse.
He urged political parties to support what he described as a parliamentary solution rather than allowing tensions to escalate.
Asked about the possible return of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who faces legal proceedings over allegations linked to the July 2024 uprising, Porwar said, "The matter was for the courts and the government to decide.”
The Jamaat secretary stated that the issue was legal and noted that the government had already banned the activities of the Awami League, adding that it would determine any further course of action.
Porwar also accused the previous Awami League administration of carrying out widespread abuses during the July-August 2024 movement, including killings and other acts of violence.
He said, "Those responsible should be brought before the courts and held accountable.”
He further claimed that the former government had failed to uphold constitutional principles and democratic practices, arguing that public opposition had ultimately forced it from power.
On the future political role of the Awami League, Golam Porwar stated that the decision should rest with the people rather than with any individual political party.
He claimed that both the July uprising and the referendum reflected public opposition to what he described as authoritarian politics.
Turning to relations with India, Golam Porwar criticised New Delhi for providing shelter to Sheikh Hasina. He alleged that she continued to influence events in Bangladesh while living in the Indian capital.
He also claimed that India had breached international legal obligations and extradition arrangements by allowing what he described as a ‘death-row convict’ to remain in the country and have access to modern communication facilities. He did not provide evidence to support those allegations.
The conference in Narsingdi was chaired by Md Ibrahim Bhuiyan, the district organiser. Earlier in the day, Jamaat also held a workshop for its district-level members.
