Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher has alleged that the administration is gradually leaning towards a specific political party.
Taher made these remarks while speaking to journalists on Sunday evening after meeting with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus at state guesthouse Jamuna.
He said that if this trend continues, doubts and despair will arise among the people regarding a free and fair election. At the same time, if the principle of equality in the electoral field is violated, the Election Commission will not be able to escape responsibility.
He said that a bias the behaviour of administrative officers across the country is now visible, especially a lack of neutrality that has become noticeable in the conduct of SPs and DCs responsible at the field level. He also said that they have already prepared a list of such officers.
However, he also said that the matter is currently under observation, and no written complaint has been submitted yet.
Taher alleged that for the past two to three weeks, the tendency to provide extra security and protocol to a top leader of one party surrounding the government is a direct violation of the principle of equality in the electoral field.
He said, “We have no objection to anyone’s security or protocol. But the same kind of treatment must be ensured towards the Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami as a major political party. Otherwise, it will be considered biased behaviour.”
He said, “If the Election Commission fails to take effective measures against such discrimination, the nation will consider it a biased offense, and the level playing field will completely collapse.”
Taher informed that they have directly drawn the chief adviser’s attention to these matters and have sought his intervention if the EC does not play its role properly.
He said that Jamaat-e-Islami firmly believes that the chief adviser personally desires a free and fair election. However, alleging that some advisers around him are trying to mislead him, the Jamaat leader called for the matter to be considered with seriousness.
Taher expressed optimism regarding the installation of CC cameras at polling centers, a long-standing demand. He informed that the CA has assured them that a decision has been made at the cabinet level to install CC cameras at every polling centre, and the necessary funds have also been allocated for this purpose.
