Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has delivered the following address on 23^rd October 2018 in the backdrop of the current political situation.

Fellow countrymen,

Assalamu Alaikum. Bangladesh is going through a severe political stalemate now. Earlier, based on a political consensus, caretaker government system was incorporated into the constitution following a decade-long movement. So far, 3 national polls had been taken place under the caretaker government which received recognition and appreciation from all over the world. This system initiated the trend of free, fair and credible election and democracy in Bangladesh. But after the one eleven, the military backed caretaker government undertook some intentional measures to destroy the political systems of the country. The incumbent government is the consequence of that ill-motivated regime. To stay in power forever, present Awami League government abolished the caretaker government system and made all arrangements to hold the national election under a political government which has created the ongoing political impasse.  

Following a voter less, farcical election on 5^th January 2014, Awami League again came to the power and destroyed the electoral system of the country completely. Though that controversial election were widely criticized both in home and abroad, but paying no heed to the popular views, Awami League continued to stay in office forcibly. Their another term is going to be end soon. 11^th national parliamentary election is knocking at our doors.

According to its blueprint design, the government has taken all out measures to come back to the power again. As a part of the same conspiracies, they are harassing the political opponents. False cases are being filed and arbitrary arrest drives are being conducted against the opposition leaders and activists. This is not a congenial atmosphere for an election at all. Under the circumstances, a meeting of the Central Executive Committee of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami held recently with party’s Ameer Maqbul Ahmad in the chair. The meeting expressed deep concern over the current political situation. Central Executive Committee, from that meeting, placed 8-point demands for holding a free, fair, credible and participatory poll. On behalf of Jamaat’s executive committee, I am presenting those demands before the nation: 

1. Parliament must be dissolved, and caretaker government must be formed immediately.
2. Election Commission must be reconstituted. Plot to launch EVM must be stopped.
3. All political prisoners including former Prime Minister and 20 party alliances chief Begum Khaleda Zia must be released. False cases should be withdrawn.
4. From now on, all political cases should be kept postponed till the declaration of the election result. Filing new cases and harassment against the opponent activists should be stopped at once. All the black laws including so-called digital security law should be repealed.  
5. Executive interference upon the judiciary must be stopped. The law enforcement agencies and the local administration should be reshuffled to keep free from political influence. Level playing ground must be ensured ahead of the national election.
6. The demands of the quota reform movement and the successive movement for road safety should be implemented immediately. Proper investigation, trial should be ensured against the miscreants who had attacked the protesting students. False cases against the agitating students to be withdrawn too.
7. The personnel who have become the victims of state-sponsored enforced disappearance, should be returned to their families. A sound investigation should be conducted in this regard.
8. Army should be deployed with magistracy power at least a week before next parliamentary election.

We are calling upon the concerned authorities to materialize all the aforesaid demands in a bid to hold a free, fair, credible and participatory poll.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s Secretary General Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has urged the people of all walks irrespective of creed, cast and religions to form a rock-solid unity to press the authority for fulfilling these demands.

Among others, Nayeb-e-Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and former MP Professor Mia Ghulam Parwar, central executive committee member and party’s publicity secretary Professor Md. Tasnim Alam, central executive committee member and former lawmaker Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher and party’s central working committee member Advocate Matiur Rahman Akanda were present on the occasion.