Eight political parties, which include Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Andolon Bangladesh, have restated their strong support for maintaining the recently revised Representation of the People Order (RPO). They emphasized that they will not entertain any further changes, additions, or exclusions in the RPO due to pressure from any specific party.
The BNP has opposed Article 20 of the updated RPO, which mandates that candidates must display their own party’s electoral symbol, even in alliances with larger parties, whereas previously they could use the alliance’s symbol.
The parties led by Jamaat have been jointly advocating with a five-point demand since October 18. A meeting was conducted at the central office of Bangladesh Khilafat Majlish in Paltan, Dhaka, where they declared plans to hold mass rallies on November 6 to present a memorandum outlining their demands to the Chief Adviser.
During the briefing, Khilafat Majlish Ameer Maulana Mamunul Haque emphasized the need to preserve the current version of the amended RPO without any alterations. Additionally, they highlighted three key demands: immediate implementation of the July Charter, conducting a referendum prior to the national election, and upholding the revised RPO in its entirety.
Asserting these demands as their primary focus, they expressed optimism in resolving issues through discussions among all political parties to ensure the upcoming election adheres to the legal framework outlined in the July Charter. Furthermore, a warning was issued that if their demands are not addressed, the alliance plans to stage a protest rally in Dhaka on November 11.