Jamaat expresses confidence in EC’s timely election plan
NN ONLINE:
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar today said the party has full confidence in the Election Commission’s (EC) ability to hold a free, fair and neutral national election within the timeframe it has announced.
“The party delegation met the Commission to seek clarity on several issues ahead of the next national polls,” he told reporters after a formal meeting with the Election Commission at the EC headquarters in the capital’s Agargaon area.
Parwar said, “Several important matters related to the upcoming election required clarification. The Commission has assured us that the polls will be held as per their announced schedule. Based on their commitments, we want to place our trust in them,” he said. “We do not anticipate any delay in the election,” the Jamaat-e-Islami leader added.
He noted that the meeting was not arranged out of distrust toward the Election Commission. Rather, he said, there was a public perception that the EC might be taking longer to announce the election schedule.
“We held this discussion to clarify that concern,” Golam Porwar added.
He said the Commission informed them that preparations for a fair and neutral election were underway and expressed hope that the schedule would be announced within this week.
“They have taken a specific decision on this matter. As per their commitment, the national election will be held before the holy month of Ramadan, and the nation is waiting for that date,” he said.
The Jamaat leader said today’s discussion also covered issues including deployment of BGB and armed forces at polling centres, ensuring neutrality of field administration, concerns raised about senior officials involved in election duties, and the recovery of illegal firearms.
He said the party also discussed expatriate voting facilities and reiterated their support for installing CCTV cameras at polling centres to strengthen transparency. “A genuinely neutral national election is essential for democracy, peace, order and a smooth transfer of power. Necessary funding can be sought from donor agencies if required,” he continued.
Porwar added that the delegation presented specific evidence regarding issues that undermine a level playing field. “We urged the Commission to take decisive steps to resolve these problems,” he said, adding that the CEC
assured them that once the election schedule is announced, the EC will exercise its authority to ensure neutrality, including making administrative reshuffles if necessary.
He said the CEC also assured that any anomaly in recent administrative reshuffles will be corrected immediately upon receiving complaints.
The six-member Jamaat delegation included Assistant Secretaries General ATM Masum, Dr. AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, and Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, Publicity Secretary Matiur Rahman Akanda, and Bangladesh Lawyers Council President Advocate Jasim Uddin Sarkar.