Eight Parties Launch Joint Programme with Four Demands, Raising Concerns over Elections

Eight political parties—including Jamaat-e-Islami, the National Citizens’ Party (NCP), and Islami Andolan Bangladesh—are set to announce a joint programme of action centred around four major demands, including the implementation of the July Charter.

According to party sources, each group will hold separate press conferences shortly to officially announce the coordinated programme.

The Four Core Demands

The joint initiative is based on a four-point charter, which includes:

1. Holding the national elections under the Proportional Representation (PR) system.
2. Ensuring a level playing field for all parties.
3. Banning the activities of the Jatiya Party (JaPa) and the 14-party alliance.
4. Implementing the July Charter with legal safeguards as the framework for the next national polls.

Agreement Among the Parties

Following several rounds of meetings, the eight parties have agreed on the necessity of enshrining the July Charter in law and holding elections based on it.

Parties Joining the Joint Programme

Announcements and Next Steps

• Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis is expected to hold a press conference on Sunday to announce the joint movement.
• Islami Andolan Bangladesh will follow with a press briefing on Monday at its central office in Purana Paltan.

A senior Jamaat leader has already confirmed the decision to participate in the joint initiative.
Meanwhile, NCP’s senior joint convener Ariful Islam Adeeb stated: “NCP wants to implement the July Charter through a Constituent Assembly election. Although some other parties are not directly demanding a Constituent Assembly, they agree on ensuring legal validity of the Charter. Discussions on a joint movement are ongoing, but nothing finalised yet.”

Differences Over the PR System

Despite agreeing on a united front, differences remain within the bloc regarding the scope of proportional representation.

• Some parties favour PR for both lower and upper houses of parliament.
• Others advocate PR only for the upper house.

As a result, the eight parties will present their demands on PR in different forms, while maintaining unity on the broader four-point agenda.

Concerns About Election Uncertainty

Jamaat, Islami Andolan, and the NCP had earlier pushed for proportional elections and fundamental reforms during dialogues with the National Consensus Commission. They are now preparing to take to the streets under the new eight-party alliance with a common programme.

Political analysts believe that such coordinated movements, emerging after the announcement of the election date, could fuel fresh uncertainty over the holding of the polls.