Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General and former MP Mia Golam Porwar has stated that the government has created unnecessary complications by scheduling the national election and referendum on the same day.

He urged authorities to revise the announcement and hold the referendum before the election, arguing that public opinion must be the true foundation of governance.

Speaking as the chief guest at a mass gathering at the Shaheed Minar premises in Khulna’s Daulatpur on Friday night, Porwar said the next national election, slated for 2026, has “no constitutional validity.” He argued that the constitution mandates elections every five years, with the last one held in 2024.

He claimed several constitutional provisions have already become ineffective and questioned how the chief adviser assumed leadership of the interim government when the constitution does not mention such a role. Porwar added that Bangladesh’s constitution contains no provisions for an interim government, and that the current administration assumed power based solely on a Supreme Court reference, which he said cannot be considered a legitimate basis for governance.

Porwar argued that neither the interim government nor the extended election timeframe has constitutional standing. He said the position of chief adviser is also absent from the constitution. Therefore, he insisted, the July Charter is the only framework that can serve as a constitutional guide for legal legitimacy going forward.

The rally, organised by Daulatpur Thana Jamaat-e-Islami and chaired by Thana Ameer Muhammad Musharraf Ansari, was addressed by central Majlis-e-Shura member and Khulna city Ameer Professor Mahfuzur Rahman as the keynote speaker. City business thana general secretary Azizur Rahman Swapan conducted the event.