Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher has said that they have no objection to elections being held in February, claiming that, however, a kind of conspiracy is underway centering on the election, as a level playing field has not yet been established.
He made these remarks during a briefing on Monday afternoon after the 20th meeting of the second phase of the National Consensus Commission with political parties, held at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital.
Taher said: “Who will be the ruling party and who will be the opposition, that is a secondary matter. We want to work for the country.”
He said the first point in Jamaat’s election manifesto will be a commitment to building a corruption-free country. “We have zero tolerance for this issue. Wherever we have held responsibilities, even in small capacities, we have set that example.”
Taher further said: “Jamaat supports constitutionally mandated appointments for the Public Service Commission (PSC), Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Comptroller and Auditor General, and Ombudsman. But the BNP and some other parties want these appointments to be made by the executive branch. They fear that the executive might be weakened this way. We believe that this concern is not valid. On the contrary, this will help appoint qualified and competent individuals.”
He said: “We do not know whether there is any scope for walkouts in such meetings. We have said that the PSC must be constitutional. If someone is opposing that, it means they want politicization. If something benefits the country but inconveniences a political party, the nation will not accept that.”
“There cannot be ghosts lingering in the Secretariat forever. We want a Secretariat free of ghosts.”
He also thanked the BNP for returning to the talks, following a brief walkout.
