Jamaat Ameer passing busy time

Bangla Press Desk:   Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has been passing a busy time. He has been spending his days holding discussions with foreign diplomats, observers, vice-chancellors of various universities, alliance leaders and top party leaders. Yesterday as well, the Jamaat Ameer held a meeting with a three-member EU delegation led by Paola Pampaloni, Director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service, at his Bashundhara office.

The delegation also included Monica Bajlaité, Deputy Head for South Asia, Asia and the Pacific, and Michael Miller, the European Union Ambassador to Bangladesh.

At this time, the Jamaat delegation was led by Ameer Shafiqur Rahman and included Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher, along with party leaders Ehsanul Mahbub Jubayer, Advocate Shishir Manir and Mahmudul Hassan.

After the meeting, Taher said they had told the EU delegation that a free, fair and impartial election was necessary to resolve the political crises Bangladesh has faced over the past 55 years. “We have clearly stated that if the next election is not free, fair and impartial, the crisis will not end; instead, it will be renewed,” he added.

He further alleged that the conduct of the current interim government and law enforcement agencies over the past week or two, and what he described as the administration’s apparent loyalty to a particular party, had raised fears that the next election could resemble what he termed the rigged polls of the past.

“We believe such elections would lead Bangladesh towards destruction. We urge the Election Commission, the government and the relevant authorities to remain vigilant and act impartially to protect the country,” he said.

Taher said the EU delegation had informed them that observers would be sent to Bangladesh’s next parliamentary election. “We have welcomed this decision,” he said.

He added that Jamaat had told the delegation that, if it came to power, it would seek to run the government collectively and work on the Rohingya issue with all stakeholders, both at home and abroad.

“The European Union has assured us that it will play an active role in this regard. They also expressed hope that the next elections in Bangladesh will be fair,” he said.

On behalf of the party, Taher also assured the EU delegation that Jamaat-e-Islami would do everything necessary to ensure a free and fair election and would provide full cooperation to that end.

Responding to a question, he denied reports that Jamaat had agreed to share 10 parliamentary seats with the National Citizen Party to contest the upcoming national polls, scheduled for 12 February next year.

BP/TD