At the divisional grand rally in Rangpur organized by eight agitating parties including Jamaat-e-Islami, top leaders of the alliance demanded that a national referendum be held before the upcoming election. Speakers said that resolving the ongoing political crisis, restoring trust in the electoral system, addressing the irregularities of the past three national elections, and fulfilling the people’s aspiration for reform are impossible without holding a referendum.

On Wednesday (3 December), the eight agitating parties’ divisional rally was held at the Collectorate Eidgah grounds in the city at 2 pm based on their five-point demands. Top leaders of the parties delivered speeches at the event.

The chief guest of the divisional rally, Ameer of Islami Andolan Bangladesh Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim said: “So many mothers have lost their sons, so many people have become crippled, so many have lost their eyesight. Our fundamental demands were that the country would be reformed, that the killers and money launderers would face visible justice, and then a level playing field would be created for the national election. But we have seen a class of power-hungry people who, instead of prioritizing reform and visible justice, have become not just mad but double-mad in their lust for power.”

He further said, “Did the students of this country sacrifice their lives merely to remove one person from power and bring another person in? Or did they sacrifice to free the nation from fascism and save the country from the hands of killers? If they fail to understand this today, then through this rally we say to them—forget the belief that you would return to power in a one-two move. From Rangpur itself, those extortionists, power-hungry opportunists, and agents of foreign interests who seek to impose their will must be uprooted. The awakened masses can no longer be stopped by the old tactics of thuggery and black money.”

Jamaat’s Nayeb-e-Ameer Professor Mujibur Rahman said,
“The process of voting must change through a referendum. What harm is there in holding a referendum? The political parties cannot come to an agreement. When they fail to settle disputes, there is a rule—this has happened in the past—that the political parties leave the matter to the people; through the referendum we will decide what is right. A referendum is a good sign for the nation; not holding it is a bad sign.”

Mujibur Rahman continued, “Those who want a referendum want something good for the people. But those who don’t want a referendum—or those who want to prevent the result of the referendum—are the same ones who demand that the parliamentary election be held on the very day of the referendum. The referendum will determine the parliamentary election. But if both take place on the same day, can the verdict of the referendum produce anything good for the parliamentary election? Whenever the referendum is held, however it is held, we want it to be held before anything else.”

Referring to people being unable to vote in the last three elections, he said,
“What happened in 2014? An uncontested election. What happened in 2018? The day’s voting was done the night before. And what happened in 2024? Let me say—no one went to vote, and no one even wanted to contest. Journalists are here; they have reported that the polling centers were empty, only a few dogs were lying inside. Such an election—where dogs sleep in the polling centers—we will not allow in Bangladesh anymore.”

The eight parties in the rally expressed unity over their five-point demands, which include: holding a referendum before the national election, introducing the proportional representation (PR) system in the electoral process, ensuring a level playing field, among other demands.

Meanwhile, beginning after 12 noon, leaders and activists from the eight districts of the division—representing Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Khelafat Majlish, Nezam-e- Islam Party, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, Bangladesh Development Party, and the Jatio Gonotanrik Party—began arriving at the rally venue in processions.

Speakers at the rally included Jamaat’s Nayeb-e-Ameer ATM Azharul Islam; Senior Nayeb-e-Ameer of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish Mawlana Yusuf Ashraf; Nayeb-e-Ameer of Khelafat Majlish Mawlana Ahmad Ali Qasemi; Organizational Secretary Sheikh Salahuddin; Senior Nayeb-e-Ameer of Bangladesh Nezam-e-Islam Maulana Abdul Majed Athari; Organizational Secretary Hafiz Maulana Abu Taher Khan; Nayeb-e-Ameer of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan Maulana Mujibur Rahman Hamidi; organizer Mufti Mahmudul Hasan; JAGPA Vice-President and spokesperson Engineer Rashed Pradhan; Chairman of Bangladesh Development Party Anwarul Islam Chan and other local leaders of the eight-party alliance.