Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, central assistant secretary general of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and a leader of the 11-party alliance, said that patriotic students and citizens will not allow fascist rule to return to Bangladesh. He made the remarks on Saturday afternoon while addressing a protest rally in Sylhet organized by the city’s 11-party alliance, demanding implementation of the referendum verdict.

Zubair stated that the July uprising aimed not only at a change of power but also at ending fascism and reforming the constitution. He claimed that about 70 percent of voters in the February 12 referendum supported change and reform, but the BNP is allegedly conspiring to ignore that verdict and reestablish fascism. He also accused the government of misusing parliamentary procedures to curtail opposition rights and repealing around 20 key ordinances, including those related to human rights and anti-corruption.

The rally, presided over by Advocate Abdur Rahman Afzal of the National Citizen Party, was attended by leaders from several allied parties. A protest march followed the meeting through major streets of Sylhet city.