Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Wednesday warned that failure to ensure a free, fair and credible election could trigger another political crisis, expressing concern that recent actions by law enforcement agencies and the administration appear to favour a 'particular political' party, raising fears of a "staged election."
The concerns were raised during a courtesy meeting between Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman and a European Union delegation led by Paola Pampaloni, Director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service (EEAS), held at the Jamaat Ameer's office in the capital's Bashundhara area.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer and former MP Dr Syed Abdullah Md Taher said the delegation was told that the absence of credible elections has been a recurring cause of political crises in Bangladesh over the past 55 years.
"We expressed our apprehension that the recent conduct of law enforcement agencies and the administration shows allegiance to a particular party, creating fears of a managed or staged election," Taher said.
He said Jamaat urged all stakeholders, including the administration and security agencies, to act impartially to ensure a level playing field. According to Taher, the EU delegation informed Jamaat that it plans to deploy the highest possible number of election observers to monitor the polls.
Taher said Jamaat-e-Islami would do everything necessary from its side to help create a free, fair and neutral election environment.
The Rohingya crisis also featured in the discussion. Taher said the EU, as the largest donor for Rohingya refugees, sought Jamaat's views on a long-term solution to the crisis.
"We told them that if Jamaat comes to power, we will work with all stakeholders to reach a permanent solution to the Rohingya issue," he said.
Responding to questions, Taher said there was no discussion with the BNP regarding the formation of a national government, reiterating that Jamaat's immediate priority remains ensuring a credible election.
On concerns over administrative bias, he said the issue was evident to all conscious citizens. Asked whether Jamaat might consider boycotting the election under the prevailing circumstances, Taher said he did not believe the situation would reach that point.
The three-member EU delegation also included EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller and Monika Bylaite, Deputy Head of the EEAS South Asia Division. The meeting lasted about an hour, with the upcoming national election dominating the discussion.
Senior Jamaat leaders present at the meeting included Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr Syed Abdullah Md Taher, Assistant Secretary General and Central Publicity and Media Department chief Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, senior Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir, and Jamaat Ameer's foreign affairs adviser Professor Dr Mahmudul Hasan.
