Showdown in Dhaka: Jamaat’s Referendum Demand Spurs Political Tensions

Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islami party has demanded a referendum before the national election to provide legal backing for a proposed charter, causing a rift with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The BNP contends that the Constitution lacks provisions for a referendum, leading to heightened political tensions.

In a tense political atmosphere, Bangladesh's largest Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, has staunchly opposed the scheduled national election in February unless a national referendum is held to provide legal legitimacy to a proposed charter. The demand has sparked friction with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which has voiced its firm opposition to the referendum.

Jamaat-e-Islami's rally in the capital on Tuesday, organized alongside seven Islamist allies, emphasized the necessity of a referendum prior to the election. Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman asserted that establishing the legal grounding of the July Charter—drafted by the National Consensus Commission—was indispensable.

However, former prime minister Khaleda Zia's BNP has countered that the Constitution lacks a referendum provision and declared that Parliament is the appropriate forum for such matters. As the interim government nears a decision on the charter's implementation, the political standoff continues to escalate, with both sides unwilling to compromise.

(With inputs from agencies.)