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Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has submitted a nine-point set of demands to the Election Commission (EC) seeking to ensure free, fair and acceptable local government elections.
Jamaat Secretary General and former lawmaker Golam Porwar disclosed the demands while speaking to journalists after a meeting with the EC at the Election Commission building in Agargaon, Dhaka, on Tuesday.
Porwar expressed frustration over what he described as the commission’s “helplessness” on several issues and questioned whether the EC was facing pressure from any particular political government.
One of Jamaat’s key demands is the withdrawal of an EC decision declaring privately employed MPO-listed teachers ineligible to contest local government elections. Porwar said the decision was discriminatory and contrary to the constitutional principles of equality, and warned that it could be legally challenged if not withdrawn.
Jamaat also demanded that office-bearers of political parties whose political activities have been banned by the government be barred from contesting local elections. However, it did not seek any restriction on ordinary supporters of such parties.
The party also objected to the recent appointment of EC Additional Secretary Shamsul Alam, alleging that he had been an active member of a BNP election-related subcommittee. Jamaat demanded that his appointment be cancelled immediately, arguing that such alleged political affiliation could undermine the neutrality of a constitutional institution.
The party further protested the appointment of political figures as administrators of upazila parishads, municipalities, city corporations and development authorities. It demanded that such administrators be permanently barred from contesting elections, even if they resign after the election schedule is announced.
Jamaat also called for strict electoral rules to prevent ministers, lawmakers and other senior government officials from participating in election campaigns.
Regarding Jamaat’s participation in the local elections, Porwar said the polls would not be held under party symbols, so the party would not officially announce candidates. Interested Jamaat members would contest independently in their respective areas.
He added that the 11-party alliance formed for the national election was limited to the parliamentary polls and would not restrict individual parties’ participation in local government elections.
Porwar said the party formally submitted all nine demands to the Election Commission during the meeting.