Staff Reporter :
Jamaat-e-Islami leaders on Thursday urged the Election Commission (EC) to guarantee a “level playing field” for all political parties ahead of the next parliamentary elections, saying that a congenial environment for elections has not yet been created in the country.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A M M Nasir Uddin at the commission’s headquarters in Agargaon, Jamaat’s assistant secretary general Hamidur Rahman Azad said, “We have strongly raised the issue that equal opportunity must be ensured for all. That is still absent. Without such a level playing field,
fair elections cannot be held.”
He added that the commission had assured the delegation that measures were being taken to address their concerns.
The meeting, held in the afternoon, was attended by a five-member Jamaat delegation led by Azad. Among the members were central working committee member Jasim Uddin Sarkar, Dhaka north metropolitan committee leader and policymaker Abdur Rahman Musa, and two other senior leaders.
Journalists pressed Azad on whether Jamaat had any objection to the timing of the national election, tentatively scheduled for February 2026. “We have no problem with elections in February,” he said. “Earlier, we suggested February or April as possible timelines, but even if elections are held in December this year, Jamaat has no objection.”
Azad noted that boundary demarcations of parliamentary constituencies were also discussed during the meeting with the CEC. Asked whether the party had specific objections outside his own constituency, he said, “We spoke in general terms.”
On the question of whether Jamaat would participate in the election without the proportional representation (PR) system, a demand the party has long supported, Azad refrained from giving a direct answer.
“We have always been sincere about fair elections. We also sincerely believe that the proportional representation method would be good for the country, helpful for a fair election, and ultimately the best system,” he said, adding that PR would ensure a more accurate reflection of voter preferences.
Despite its longstanding demands for electoral reform, Azad confirmed that Jamaat is preparing for the polls. “We have participated in every acceptable election in the past and represented people in parliament. In that spirit, we are preparing to field candidates in all 300 constituencies and are reaching out to voters nationwide,” he said.
The Jamaat delegation’s meeting came just days after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) held talks with the EC, where it also emphasized the need for fair conditions and credible polling arrangements.
