Jamaat holds protest demanding FM's interrogation over 'election engineering'

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami staged a protest in Dhaka on Friday demanding the interrogation of Foreign Minister (FM) Khalilur Rahman and former interim government adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan over alleged election engineering in the 13th national parliamentary polls.

Party leaders and activists of Jamaat’s Dhaka metropolitan unit held a brief rally at the north gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque at noon before bringing out a protest procession.

The demonstration follows allegations made on Thursday by Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher. 

Taher accused Khalilur Rahman, who previously served as National Security Adviser in the interim government and now holds the post of foreign minister in the BNP-led government, of playing a role in manipulating the election process.

Taher also raised similar allegations against Syeda Rizwana Hasan, another former adviser to the interim administration.

Speaking at Friday’s rally, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar called for a formal investigation into claims that the people’s mandate was altered through election engineering. He urged authorities to question both Khalilur Rahman and Rizwana Hasan and to disclose the names of any others allegedly involved.

Referring to remarks attributed to Rizwana Hasan about opposition politics, Parwar questioned whether Jamaat was being sidelined from the political mainstream. “If others were involved, their names should be made public,” he said.

Parwar stated that Jamaat had accepted the election results despite what he described as deep disappointment, saying the party did so in the interest of national stability and fulfilling public expectations.

On Thursday, Taher had said Jamaat filed specific complaints regarding alleged irregularities in 53 constituencies during the parliamentary election.

Parwar also alleged that Khalilur Rahman’s appointment to the cabinet was politically motivated, suggesting he had benefited certain political forces during the interim government period.

Leaders of Jamaat’s Dhaka metropolitan unit were present at the rally. Neither the Foreign Ministry nor Syeda Rizwana Hasan has publicly responded to the allegations.