Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has said that the Chief Adviser’s announcement to hold the national election and referendum on the same day disregards the people’s will.

“The government has ignored our repeated requests and logical arguments against holding the referendum and parliamentary polls on the same day,” Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar said at a press conference at the party’s Moghbazar office on Thursday afternoon, reacting to the Chief Adviser’s address to the nation.

He said that problems arise at some polling centres in every national election, and in many cases, voting is suspended.

“If parliamentary voting is halted at any centre, what will happen to the referendum there?” he questioned.

Porwar warned that such a decision could unsettle over 12.5 crore voters.

“That’s why the eight-party alliance urged the government to hold the referendum before the national election. But the Chief Adviser’s speech failed to resolve this crisis,” he said.

He also informed that Jamaat’s executive council would meet Thursday evening to review the Chief Adviser’s announcements, adding that other parties in the eight-party alliance would also assess the situation before issuing a collective response.