Nayed-e-Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher has said that the people of the country will not accept another election based on usurpation. If attempts are made to hold an election by seizing control, the people will take to the streets again, he said.
He made these remarks while speaking to journalists after a meeting with the chief election commissioner at the Election Commission (EC) office in Agargaon, Dhaka, on Sunday afternoon. Dr Taher had come to the EC to raise objections regarding the inclusion of several areas from neighboring constituencies into Cumilla-11 following the new boundary demarcation.
He said, “Based on our 54 years of experience, we want a fair election under a proportional representation (PR) system. It cannot be that someone gets 51% of the votes and wears a victory garland while another’s 49% becomes meaningless. We demand the PR system in both the upper and lower houses.” He also called for ensuring a level playing field in the elections.
Dr Taher stated that while Jamaat has no objection to holding elections in February, they have some observations and conditions. “We have seen that, in the past, the government consulted with political parties before announcing election dates. Even though the election date was announced in a consensus-based environment with all parties present, this time it was different.”
Recalling past promises, the Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer said, “The government had pledged to carry out reforms and ensure justice for the July massacres before the elections, upholding the spirit of July. Although parties reached agreements on many issues in the consensus committee, we suddenly saw stagnation there. We have said that elections must be held based on the legal framework of the July declaration and charter. A level playing field must be ensured. One of Jamaat’s key conditions for participating in the election is that the voting must be neutral.”
Dr Taher further said, “The CEC has stated that he is trying his best to ensure a fair election environment.” He also strongly demanded the reshuffling of SPs, DCs, and UNOs to bring law and order under control.