Jamaat submits 9-point demands to EC

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has submitted a nine-point set of demands to the Election Commission (EC) seeking to ensure a free, fair, neutral and widely acceptable local government election.

A Jamaat delegation placed the demands during a meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin and other commissioners at the Election Commission office in Agargaon on Tuesday.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Jamaat Secretary General and former lawmaker Mia Golam Porwar said the EC must withdraw its internal decision to bar MPO-listed teachers from contesting local government elections.

He said teachers had long been allowed to contest both national and local elections and exercise their voting rights. Restricting their participation only in local elections would be discriminatory and contrary to the principle of equal rights guaranteed under Articles 27 and 28 of the Constitution, he said.

Porwar warned that the decision could face a legal challenge if it is not withdrawn.

Jamaat also demanded that office-bearers of political parties whose political activities have been banned by the government should not be allowed to contest local elections. However, the party does not want any restriction imposed on ordinary supporters of such parties.

The party also objected to the recent appointment of Additional Secretary Shamsul Alam to the EC Secretariat. Jamaat alleged that he had been associated with a BNP election-related subcommittee and demanded that his appointment be cancelled.

Jamaat further protested the appointment of political persons as administrators of upazila parishads, municipalities, city corporations and development authorities. It demanded that such administrators be barred from contesting elections, even if they resign after the election schedule is announced.

The party also called for strict electoral rules to prevent ministers, lawmakers and other senior government officials from participating in election campaigns.