Islami Andolan Bangladesh has clarified that it has not proposed changing the name of the country, but instead suggested replacing the word "Republic" with "Welfare" in the constitutional title of the state.

In a statement issued on Friday (April 11), Islami Andolan Bangladesh Joint Secretary General and party spokesperson Maulana Gazi Ataur Rahman said the party submitted reform proposals to the National Consensus Commission. 

He said, “We did not propose changing the name ‘Bangladesh’. Our suggestion was to replace the word ‘Republic’ with ‘Welfare’ to better reflect our national values.”

The statement also mentioned that the commission itself had earlier proposed alternative terms like “People’s Democracy” or “Citizen’s Democracy” in place of “Republic.” The party maintained that these are suggestions for constitutional reform, not a change in the country’s name.

The spokesperson criticised what he called “misleading headlines” in some reports that claimed Islami Andolon wanted to change the name of Bangladesh.

BDST: 1901 HRS, April 11, 2025
MSK