Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP) held separate meetings with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday evening, calling for major reforms ahead of the upcoming 13th national election slated for first half of February next year.
Jamaat leaders urged the interim administration to ensure a “level playing field”, saying that the police, the Election Commission, and parts of the civil administration were showing loyalty to a particular political party.
“They (government officials) admit they are under pressure from one party,” Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher told reporters after the meeting at the chief adviser’s official residence Jamuna. “Most government lawyers are followers of that party. To fix this imbalance across the country, a level playing field is essential.”
In response, the chief adviser assured the delegation that transfers and postings would be made through a transparent lottery system before the polls to ensure neutrality. Taher added that he had urged Yunus to hold a referendum in late November to gauge public confidence before the general election.
“A small additional cost for a fair national election is worth it,” he said, noting that a consensus-based, free, fair, and participatory election was critical for political stability. He warned, however, that the deteriorating law and order situation in some areas could threaten the electoral process.
Jamaat’s delegation included Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar, assistant secretaries general Maulana ATM Masum and Rafiqul Islam Khan.
NCP demands EC reshuffle, stresses July Charter
Following Jamaat, a delegation from the NCP, led by its convener Nahid Islam, also met with Yunus. They demanded a complete reconstitution of the Election Commission, alleging bias and non-transparency.
“The Election Commission is being influenced by others and is denying us our chosen ‘Shapla’ (water lily) symbol,” Nahid told reporters. “If the election is not fair, the government must take responsibility. The current commission is neither impartial nor transparent.”
He claimed that the EC was favouring certain parties while discriminating against others. “We explained to the chief adviser how this partiality is taking place,” Nahid said.
The NCP leader also clarified that the party would not sign the July Charter until its implementation is guaranteed. “Since this constitutional order must be issued outside the framework of the Constitution, it has to come directly from Yunus,” he added.
Nahid further alleged that major political parties were influencing administrative appointments, dividing posts of DCs and SPs among themselves ahead of the polls. “We urged the chief adviser to act decisively to prevent such practices,” he said.
The meetings followed a similar dialogue the previous evening between a BNP delegation, led by its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and the chief adviser, during which the party called for the interim government to act in the spirit of a neutral caretaker administration. BNP also demanded the removal of partisan figures from the current interim setup.
