Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher on Wednesday alleged that his party faced serious discrimination during the scrutiny of nomination papers and demanded the removal of partisan Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs) from their posts.
“There are two kinds of decisions in one country and two different applications of the same law. We have informed the Election Commission about this and protested,” Dr Taher said while talking to reporters after leading his party delegation in a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital.
He said two kinds of decisions were seen on the similar issues as some partisan DCs were appointed in different places who took decisions based on their partisan attitude not laws during the scrutiny of nomination papers. “We have demanded that such partisan DCs and SPs be withdrawn and neutral officials be appointed in their place.”
Dr Taher said Jamaat candidates faced serious discrimination in the decisions of the returning officers during the scrutiny citing inconsistencies in handling cases related to dual citizenship.
“In similar cases of dual citizenship, nomination papers were accepted in some constituencies, while in others they were rejected,” he said, adding that the nomination paper of Jamaat aspirant Mahbub Salehin in Kurigram was rejected on similar grounds.
“However, in the same situation, our candidate Barrister Mahbub Salehi from Kurigram was not accepted. We have drawn the Election Commission’s attention to this issue,” he added.
Dr Taher also alleged discriminatory treatment in cases related to past convictions during the Awami League regime.
“In one such case, three of our leaders were punished unlawfully. Among them, nomination papers of two candidates were accepted, but in the same circumstances, the nomination of our candidate Hamidur Rahman Azad was rejected,” he said.
No Level-playing Field Yet
Raising concerns over the level-playing field, Dr Taher said Jamaat informed the EC that the level-playing field is not still there.
“We told the Election Commission that there is no level-playing field now. One particular party is being given extensive promotion,” he said.
“For example, today I called the information adviser and said that your television has not yet become Muslim as it is not neutral,” he said, adding that they asked him to take initiatives to ensure that the election campaign is equal in the television.
The Jamaat leader claimed unequal security and protocol arrangements for a particular party and leaders are also distorting the electoral environment.
“When someone is given excessive protocol, it creates a public impression that they may become something important in the future…. This damages the level-playing field and sends a wrong message to the people,” he said, adding that they drew the attention of the Election Commission to this matter.
Dr Taher said treatment of major political parties must be equal in terms of government protection, protocol and even family-related facilities.
He also accused one political party of violating the election code of conduct by distributing VGF cards, agriculture cards and family cards.
“This is a clear and blatant violation of the code of conduct. We raised the issue and the Election Commission assured us that action would be taken if such incidents occur,” he said.
The Jamaat leader also demanded the installation of CCTV cameras in polling stations, adding that the EC informed them that at least 90 percent of stations would be brought under CCTV coverage.
Calling for a credible election based on an equal level-playing field, Dr Taher warned that failure to ensure fairness could put the country at serious risk.
“If the upcoming election turns out to be another arranged election, Bangladesh will face an existential crisis and move towards a more dangerous situation,” he said.
Asked whether Jamaat still had confidence in the Election Commission, Dr Taher said, “We still want to keep our trust, as we are in the election process.”
Responding to questions about fears of a one-sided election and the law and order situation, he said Jamaat had conveyed its concerns to the EC over the law and order situation.
“In recent days, the government’s conduct and excessive actions in the name of protection have raised serious concerns—not just in our minds, but naturally in yours as well,” he said.
The five-member Jamaat delegation also included its Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar and Assistant Secretary General Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair and Jamaat MP candidate Shishir Monir.