On Wednesday, 7 January at 3:00 pm, a six-member delegation led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Nayeb-e-Ameer and former MP Dr. Syed Abdullah Md. Taher met with the Election Commission. The delegation included the Jamaat’s Secretary General and former MP Mia Golam Porwar, Assistant Secretary General and former MP Dr. Hamidur Rahman Azad, Advocate Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair, Central Executive Council member Mr. Mobarak Hossain, and Supreme Court senior lawyer Mohammad Shishir Monir.

At a press briefing following the meeting with the Election Commission, Dr. Syed Abdullah Md. Taher objected to the cancellation of nomination papers of several party candidates and said that some Returning Officers had taken two different decisions on the same grounds. He mentioned that in identical incidents, nomination papers of two candidates were accepted, involving the same type of case and even in the same court, yet the nomination paper of their senior leader Dr. Hamidur Rahman Azad was cancelled. He stated that this happened because partisan Deputy Commissioners had been appointed in various places and they acted with party bias instead of following the law. “We have said that such DCs and SPs must be removed and neutral DCs and SPs must be replaced over there; otherwise, the election will be questionable,” he added.

He further said that although candidates of another party had their nomination papers validated despite holding dual citizenship, Jamaat’s candidate for Kurigram-3 constituency, Barrister Mahbubul Alam Salehi, had his candidacy cancelled. This issue was also placed before the Commission.

Dr. Taher said they informed the Commission that there was no level playing field in the election, as another party was being given extensive opportunities for campaigning. Recently, in response to his question about BTV’s neutrality, the Information Adviser expressed his helplessness, claimed Dr. Taher. Jamaat leaders urged the Commission to immediately take initiatives to ensure equal campaigning opportunities for all parties.

Highlighting discrimination in protocol and protection for political parties and party chiefs, Dr. Taher said that some individuals were being given excessive security while other leaders of the same stature were not. “The issue is not about giving more or less protection to anyone,” he said. “The issue is that during an election this creates a public impression. People will see that one person is receiving a lot of protocol and will form the impression that he is a future leader. This severely damages the level playing field and sends a colored message to the public.”

Regarding violations of the election code of conduct, he said that one party was distributing family cards and agriculture cards, which is a clear breach of the code. The Election Commission has assured them in this regard.

Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher added that CCTV cameras must be installed in polling centers for a fair election. The Commission has agreed in principle and informed them that this would be done in 90 percent of the centers. “We want a free, fair and neutral election. If the upcoming election is a staged one, Bangladesh will face an existential crisis and the country will move towards an even more dangerous situation. One party is already in exile for such ill-efforts,” he said.