Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Prof Ali Riaz on Sunday said the upcoming referendum will determine what kind of Bangladesh the nation chooses for its future.

He made the remarks while addressing a divisional Imam conference at Bell’s Park in Barishal as the chief guest, organised by the divisional administration and the Islamic Foundation as part of the nationwide referendum campaign.

The conference was chaired by Barishal Divisional Commissioner Md Mahfuzur Rahman. Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser (Consensus) Monir Haider and Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs Md Kamal Uddin attended the programme as special guests.

As part of the first day of a series of consultations aimed at promoting the referendum and motivating voters, the conference brought together imams from across Barishal Division. More than 1,200 imams working in different districts of the division took part in the event.

Speaking as the government’s chief coordinator for the referendum campaign, Prof Ali Riaz said the people are the true owners of Bangladesh, achieved through years of struggle. He said the referendum would help chart the roadmap for the country’s future, as citizens would get the opportunity to decide how the nation will be governed by their elected representatives in the coming days.

He said the aspiration was to build a state where the government is accountable to the people, but even after 54 years of independence, the country has not come close to achieving that goal. Referring to what he described as 16 years of fascist rule marked by repression and oppression, he said it has become clear that progress is not possible without changing the existing system.

Ali Riaz said political differences would naturally exist and people would vote for candidates of their choice in elections, but there must be consensus on what kind of country Bangladesh should be. Dismissing doubts over the referendum, he said that just as voters elect candidates through general elections, participation in the referendum would allow citizens to move forward in building the state based on the July Charter.

He called for collective efforts, beyond party lines, to ensure mass participation in the referendum and to raise awareness in order to establish a Bangladesh founded on equality, human dignity and justice.

Addressing the imams, Special Assistant (Consensus) Monir Haider said the reform process had begun after what he termed the July mass uprising drove a “killer mafia” out of the country and restored people’s ownership of the state. Describing the referendum as the next major step in rebuilding the nation, he warned that failure of the referendum could pave the way for the return of those forces.

He alleged that “fugitive fascists” are trying to mislead people about the referendum through propaganda funded by looted money, and urged the religious community to counter misinformation by presenting facts and removing voters’ doubts.

Religious Affairs Secretary Md Kamal Uddin said Islamic scholars had endured repression and injustice over the past 16 years in their efforts to uphold truth. Noting that this is the first time in Bangladesh’s history that people have been given the opportunity to decide the future shape of the country, he expressed hope that the religious community would play a leading role in ensuring the success of the referendum.

Among others, Barishal Range DIG of Police Md Manjur Morshed Alam, Barishal Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Shafikul Islam, President of Barishal Divisional Imam Association Maulana Abdul Nizami, and Islamic Foundation Barishal Director Md Nurul Islam also spoke at the conference.