Desk Report:
Jamaat-e-Islami demands midnight order for charter reforms Chittagong, October 31, 2025 – Amid tension in the political environment, a powerful ultimatum was issued today giving notice to the interim government. Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, senior Naib Amir of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, stepped before the press and, speaking with urgency, demanded that the implementation order of the July National Charter be signed immediately – perhaps even before dawn. Dr Taher minced no words, portraying the situation as a desperate race against time. He pressed for the order to be placed by the next day, but then urged action within hours, pointing to an unusual, late-night precedent: “I wish to reiterate that it is better for you to issue it today without wasting much time as there is a precedent for issuing such orders between 12 o’clock and 1 am, and if it is not done today, there is no possibility of delaying the order tomorrow.” The implicit message was clear: The deadline is now. Fear of ‘fraud’: referendum in danger The main fear, as expressed by Dr. Taher, is that political wrangling will derail the reform process altogether. He appealed to the government not to create a toxic mix of “political uncertainty and distrust” by dangling key issues such as the implementation of the Charter. He became particularly emotional when discussing the proposed referendum, which aims to validate the Charter’s reforms directly with the people. “It would be a fraud to waste time and say that there is no time for a referendum. Now every day and hour is important,” Dr Taher declared in a loud voice. For him and his party, stalling the referendum is not just a bureaucratic delay; This is a possible betrayal
The way forward: February elections and the public’s decision Speaking about the work of the National Consensus Commission, Dr. Taher seemed almost relieved that majority agreement had been reached, saying that the parties ultimately “agreed on 60 percent of the issues.” He insisted that this was enough to move the process forward. He rejected any idea of complicating the upcoming election by combining the two votes: “Reforms cannot happen all the time. National elections and referendums cannot happen simultaneously.” Finally, Naib Amir laid out his party’s vision for the next few months, calling for a clear roadmap: Elections in February: National elections must be held then. Complete Reforms: The complete reform proposal should be implemented. Referendum first: The required public vote must take place before a national election. Decision-based voting: Elections should be based on the decision of a referendum. The message from the Jamaat leadership is clear: the time for talks is over; Now the time has come for legal implementation. The demands were met with the strong support of other senior Jamaat personalities present at the press conference including Naib-e-Amir Professor Mujibur Rehman, Assistant General Secretary Hamidur Rehman Azad, ATM Masoom and Central Publicity Secretary Matiur Rehman Akand. This report, compiled from our Chittagong news coverage, reflects the growing concern and high risks surrounding the change of power and the fate of the July Charter.
