Moncho-24 demands JaPa be declared ineligible for polls

A student organisation Moncho-24 has called on Election Commission (EC) to declare Jatiya Party (JaPa) ineligible to contest the upcoming parliamentary elections within 48 hours, accusing the party of complicity in what it described as “16 years of authoritarian rule.”

The demand was pressed by the organisation's convener Fahim Farooqui during a press conference at Dhaka University’s Madhur Canteen on Friday. 

He criticised JaPa for submitting nomination papers in 224 constituencies, calling the move “unacceptable in the current political climate.”

In a written statement, Farooqui alleged that JaPa was not merely an opposition party but a long-standing ally of Awami League, serving as a key member of 14-party alliance that supported the government for over 16 years. 

“Jatiya Party shares responsibility for the systemic injustices and crimes committed during that period. There can be no separation between Awami League and JaPa when it comes to accountability,” he said.

He also criticised the interim government for banning Awami League activities while allowing JaPa to continue operating. 

“Post-July Bangladesh cannot accommodate political forces that enabled tyranny or undermined democratic rights,” Farooqui said, referring to July 2024 mass uprising that led to the formation of the interim administration.

Farooqui further alleged that both parties legitimised what he called “sham elections” during Sheikh Hasina era and argued that any group involved in suppressing voters’ rights should be barred from future elections.

Moncho-24 said that two legal notices have already been filed against JaPa and other alleged collaborators; one by a leader of the Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) and another by July Oikya, accusing them of involvement in state violence and electoral irregularities.

Issuing a warning, Farooqui said that if the Election Commission does not act within 48 hours, Moncho-24 will announce a nationwide mobilisation, including a protest at the Commission headquarters in coordination with other factions of the July mass uprising.

“If Jatiya Party is allowed to participate in the elections,” he added, “students and citizens will organise the same level of resistance against them as they did against Awami League.”

SH