Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Wednesday held its first formal meeting with the Election Commission (EC) after regaining its registration and election symbol, during which the party presented four key demands.
The meeting took place at 11am with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin.
A three-member delegation, led by Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad, represented the party.
Jamaat's four proposals
In the meeting, Jamaat-e-Islami presented the following demands to the Election Commission:
- Introduction of a proportional representation (PR) system.
- Ensuring voting rights for expatriates.
- Holding local elections before the national election.
- Conducting local government elections under a non-partisan administration.
After the meeting, Azad told reporters: “By implementing the court’s order and restoring our party’s registration and the scale symbol, the Election Commission has paved the way for justice. This proves that our rights were previously taken away in a politically motivated manner under a fascist regime.”
When asked whether they have confidence in the commission, he said: “We are not commenting yet. We are observing the activities of the Election Commission. Where they are acting rightly, we are giving recognition. If they fail, we will certainly speak out.”
Regarding the national charter, Azad said that they expect their demands and proposals to be reflected in the process of creating the national charter, as discussed in the commission’s consultations.
He also emphasized the need for government initiatives to implement the charter.
Commenting on the PR system, Azad said: “In many countries, free and fair elections have been possible through this system. If it is introduced in Bangladesh, it will curb the influence of black money, criminal activity, and nomination trading. We have proposed the allocation of parliamentary seats based on 1% of votes to reflect the voters' true will.”
He remarked that nearly 11 million expatriates are deprived of their voting rights. “Expatriates contribute to our economy by sending remittances, so they should have voting rights. We have demanded the introduction of possible technology-based methods, including postal voting and online voting,” he added.
Azad also said that national and local government elections must be held and that local elections must be conducted under a non-partisan administration. “This would reflect the public’s opinion and help build trust and a conducive environment for the national election,” he said.