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No one should be PM for more than two terms

Seven Islamist parties today proposed a provision barring an individual from serving as prime minister for more than two terms.
The parties also urged the interim government to hold a free and neutral election within a reasonable timeframe after carrying out some fundamental reforms.
They placed their demands during a meeting with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at his official residence Jamuna.
Hefajat-e-Islam Joint Secretary General Mamunul Haque briefed reporters about the meeting’s outcome.
Leaders of Khelafat Majlish, Nizam-e-Islam, Hefazat-e-Islam, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Islami Andolon, Khelafat Andolon and Jamiat Ulama-e Islam met with the interim government.
According to sources, the chief adviser told the participants that his government didn’t want to stay in power for a long time, but they needed a logical timeframe for reforms.
The Islamist parties extended their support to the interim government for reforms, they said.
According to sources, Professor Yunus said creating a level playing field for a neutral election is not possible without reforming the Election Commission. For that, the interim government needs a reasonable time.
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), during the meeting with the chief adviser, demanded a specific timeframe for holding national and local government polls.
“We don’t want any election without carrying out necessary reforms. But election at the earliest would be good for the country and the interim government as well as for the political parties,” LDP president Oli Ahmed told reporters.
Oli said they made 83 proposals to make corruption and exploitation-free Bangladesh including cancellation of the registration of Awami League.
Coming out of the meeting, Mamunul Haque said, “We have proposed that a person should not serve as prime minister for more than two terms. We also demanded that a national election be held after carrying out necessary reforms. We also demanded not to make any delay for holding polls.”
Responding to a query about what he meant by reasonable time, he said they didn’t discuss any specific timeframe.
The Hefajat leader said they proposed reforms in the electoral system to ensure the representation of all voters across the country in the parliament.
He said if that is ensured no party can enact any law against Islam.
Hefajat joint general secretary Azizul Haque Islamabadi, who also attended the meeting, told The Daily Star that they made four fundamental demands to the chief adviser.
“We demanded constitutional reforms so that fascism couldn’t be re-established. The constitution should be a charter for mass people as the incumbent interim government is the outcome of a mass movement. We demanded withdrawal of the cases that were filed against Hefajat leaders in 2013 and 2021 within a month,” he told this correspondent.
“We proposed to form a tribunal to try mass killings of 2013, 2021 and 2024. We also demanded immediate arrest of instigators of killings and enforced disappearance,” Azizul Haque continued.
Islami Andolon Bangladesh made 13 proposals at the meeting including abolishing the current constitution and forming a constitutional commission to draft a new one to ratify it through a referendum.
The party also demanded for forming of an inquiry commission and independent tribunal to try the July massacre abolish the incumbent Election Commission and reconstitute a new one for a free and fair election.
Ameer of Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Mufti Syed Rezaul Karim, also told reporters that they demanded overall reforms in five sectors — Election Commission, civil bureaucracy, judiciary, law enforcement agencies and media.

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