A meeting of the central executive committee of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami was held with party’s Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman in the chair. The meeting discussed the latest political situation, economic conditions, and different national and international issues.

After the discussion, the central executive committee has undertaken the following proposals:

(1)
Calls to launch an all-out movement to hold an election under a non-party government

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s central executive committee is observing with great concern that, although this is a constitutionally democratic country, however, the government has seized people’s voting rights away, and simultaneously it has destroyed the entire electoral system. The countrymen have no confidence in holding a fair election under a political government.

11 national elections have been held in the country in the last 51 years since its independence. Among these elections, the people became able to cast their votes comfortably in the elections of 1991, 1996, and 2001 and all these three elections had been held under a caretaker government. Just immediate before the transfer of power to the caretaker government in 2006, mayhem and an anarchic situation were created, and subsequently, a military-backed interim government was formed. As a part of its exit plan, this controversial government arranged a farcical election on 29thDecember of 2008 and paved the way for Awami League and its 14 party alliances to come into power.

In 2009, in order to permanent its authority in office, with the excuse of the court’s verdict, Awami League had formed a citizen committee to bring an amendment to the constitution in a bid to nullify the caretaker government system. Almost all the political parties, social organizations, academicians, journalists, and distinguished citizens opined to continue the caretaker government system. Interestingly, the initiative of canceling the caretaker system was initiated based on a court verdict that recommended holding another two elections under a caretaker government. However, the government canceled the system finally just to attain its party interest. Thus, the whole election process has been destroyed. In the two following elections of 2014 and 2018, it has become apparent that a fair and credible election is not possible under the Awami League regime.

Using the state apparatus, Awami League is trying to stay in power which ultimately created the current unbearable conditions where there is no presence of democracy, rule of law, human rights, voting rights, and freedom of speech. The authority has hijacked the constitutionally guaranteed rights to hold procession and rallies. Corruption, misrule, murder, abduction and kidnapping have engulfed the whole nation. To free the nation from these misdeeds, an accountable and elected governmet must be established. To do so, a free, fair, credible, and participatory election is required which is not possible without a non-party government.

As such, the central executive committee urged the fellow countrymen to initiate a broad base movement in order to hold elections under a non-party government.

(2)
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s central executive committee is also observing that the government and its associates are hatching a huge conspiracy against religious scholars and Madrasa education. Islamic scholars for many years have been playing a significant and motivational role to build the character of the youth community and simultaneously protecting them from unethical activities. They also performed united roles protesting against terrorism, anarchy murder, abduction, and countrywide series of bomb attacks.

Heinous conspiracies are going on against the Madrasas (religious schools) which are performing quality roles to build the morals and characters of the youth and also to make them enriched with science and technology and finally turn them into Islamic thinkers. But the religious scholars are being harassed politically and also by raising slander, false allegations, and insults. Many of them are imprisoned now. In recent times, another conspiracy has begun as an unconstitutional and illegal structure namely Gono Todonto Commission (Public Investigation Commission) has been formed to demonize religious scholars by bringing cock and bull stories in forth. But the constitution and the existing law, do not allow anybody to form such a commission. The responsible persons behind this commission must be brought to justice immediately.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s central executive committee urges the fellow countrymen to take a stand against the ongoing conspiracy against the religious scholars and Madrasa and also to release detained religious scholars immediately.