A meeting of the central executive committee of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami was held with parties acting Ameer and former lawmaker Professor Mujibur Rahman in the chair. The meeting adopted the following proposals to hold next parliamentary election under a caretaker government and similarly demanding immediate release of the party Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman and other detained leaders and activities.

“The next parliamentary election is scheduled to be held shortly but still there is no congenial atmosphere for holding a free fair and credible election. The entire nation is united to hold next election Under a neutral and non-party caretaker government. In last 15 years under the current regime, no election has been recognized as free and fair and none of these elections could attain acceptance and credibility. But we are observing with great concern that the government is trying to hold another farcical election. We want to inform the government that the nation will not allow any farcical and one-party election. The central executive committee of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is urging the government to accept the demand of restoring caretaker government system for holding a free fair and credible election.

In one side the government is talking about holding a participatory election while on the other, they are continuing the arrest drives and repression against the opposition leaders and activists. The opposition men are being arrested without any specific case and they are being produced before the court after remaining hidden for several days. The authority is trying to fasten the old cases and as a part of the initiative, witness statements are being recorded in night even after the court’s official time.

The government has kept Jamaat Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman since last December. Similarly, they have kept Jamaat’s Secretary General and former MP Professor Mia Golam Porwar, Assistant Secretary General Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan, Central executive committee member Mohammed Selim Uddin, central Majlish-e-Shura member and former MP Shahjahan Chowdhury and many other leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatrashibir for many days. Opposition men are being arrested frequently almost every day. False cases are being lodged against them subsequently. The whole nation has already transformed into a big prison.

Central executive committee of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is urging the government to stop all this harassment and repression and to release all detained party leaders and activists including Jamaat Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman immediately.