Jamaat-e-Islami Warns of Risk of “Rigged Election” Ahead of February 12 Polls

Jamaat-e-Islami’s Nayeb-e-Ameer, Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, has alleged that the government and law enforcement agencies have been “leaning towards a particular political party” for some time.

He believes this has created concern that the February 12 election may turn into a “rigged election.”

Speaking at a briefing at the party chief’s Bashundhara office on Wednesday, without naming any party, he said, “Over the past one or two weeks, the way the government in Bangladesh and our law enforcement authorities, including the army, have leaned towards a particular party, and the way the administration is showing loyalty to one party, has created concern over whether the upcoming election will once again become a rigged election like those in the past.

“We believe that such rigged elections will push Bangladesh towards destruction.”

He called on the government and the Election Commission to play a neutral role to protect Bangladesh.

Earlier in the day, a three-member delegation from the European Union paid a courtesy call on Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman at his Bashundhara office. After the meeting with the delegation, Nayeb-e-Ameer Taher spoke to journalists.

At that time, Taher said that although the main discussion with the delegation focused on sending European Union observers for the parliamentary election, they also discussed the national election and Rohingya repatriation.

Taher said, “We told them that a fair and credible election in Bangladesh is extremely important, because one of the main reasons behind the crisis Bangladesh has faced over the past 55 years has been the lack of free and proper elections.”

Commenting that Jamaat-e-Islami believes free and fair elections are necessary to resolve the political ‘deadlock’ in the country, the party’s Nayeb-e-Ameer said, “If the upcoming election is not free and fair, not neutral, then the crisis will not end. A new crisis will emerge and it will become even deeper.”

Taher said that the party has conveyed these concerns to the European Union delegation.

He added that the delegation has expressed optimism about sending the highest number of observers to the upcoming election.

He said, “They have agreed to send foreign observers for this election, and Bangladesh has also agreed. This is because previous elections were not truly participatory. We said we welcome this.”

Taher also said that the delegation was assured that if Jamaat-e-Islami comes to state power through elections, it will play a role in Rohingya repatriation and in establishing their democratic rights in coordination with national and international stakeholders.

Stating that the European Union expects a fair election in Bangladesh, he said, “We have assured them that Jamaat-e-Islami will do whatever is necessary and will cooperate to ensure that the election is free and fair.”