Dhaka, June 28 -- Islamist political parties have voiced a collective ambition to emerge as a dominant force in national politics, pushing for unity and sweeping electoral reforms ahead of the general election.

At a "mass" rally organised by Islami Andolan Bangladesh in Dhaka's Suhrawardy Udyan, top leaders from several faith-based groups, including Jamaat-e-Islami, said they had reached a common understanding and may contest the election jointly.

The event, held on Saturday, also demanded the introduction of a proportional representation system, judicial reform, and a "neutral" interim government.

The first session of the day began at 10am on Saturday with Quran recitation, followed by speeches from district- and city-level leaders wh...