Acting Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and former lawmaker Professor Mujibur Rahman has issued the following statement on 2nd January, 2017 declaring peaceful demonstration on next 5th January marking ‘Democracy Killing Day’.

“The incumbent authoritarian government has killed democracy by seizing the voter rights of the peoples and also by staging a farcical election on 5th January of 2014. This day will be regarded as the black day in the political history of Bangladesh.

On that controversial and unacceptable election, 153 parliament members were declared as elected without any contest or vote casting. In the history of parliamentary democracy such an incident is unprecedented. No voter even went to cast vote in 47 poll centres. Since that farcical election, all the local government elections which have taken place in different Upazila, City Corporation, Union council and district council are similarly farce and plot of a deep rooted conspiracy. All these elections proved that fair and credible election is not possible under the current regime.

The government at the time of that farcical election claimed that, ‘this election is being held only for maintaining constitutional consistencies. Initiatives will be taken for holding a fair, credible and participatory election shortly.’ But the government did not keep that promise. Rather they have ruined the electoral system of the country. As a result, the countrymen have lost their trust and confidence upon the incumbent government and its subservient election commission.

The general masses are highly disturbed at the ongoing misrule of the government. There is no alternative right now to get rid of this situation but holding a free, fair, participatory and credible election under a neutral caretaker government and a fair election commission. So a broad base national unity should be formed to rescue the nation from the current suffocating situation.

On behalf of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, I am declaring nationwide peaceful demonstration on 5th January, Friday marking ‘Democracy Killing Day’. I am also urging all the front organizations of Jamaat-e-Islami and seeking the assistance of the countrymen to make the declared program successful.”