Jamaat says national polls in February suitable, but shouldn’t cross April

The next national election can be held within the timeframe announced by the interim government, provided that ongoing reform efforts are completed on time and relevant stakeholders cooperate, said Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman today (3 May).

"The government has said that elections will be held between December this year and June next year. If the reform activities that have been undertaken are expedited and stakeholders cooperate, then elections are possible after reforms within the time announced by the government," he said.

"We consider two timeframes to be suitable. One is February, before the start of Ramadan. If reforms and judicial processes are not completed by then, the election should not be delayed beyond April," he added.

The Jamaat chief made the remarks while addressing the party's district and metropolitan ameer conference at the Al-Falah Auditorium in Dhaka's Moghbazar.

Referring to comments made by some government advisers, Shafiqur said, "Sometimes some advisers of the government behave undesirably. This surprises us. They try to make political statements. They should refrain from this."

The Jamaat chief also suggested that the Proportional Representation (PR) system be used in the election to reduce the influence of muscle power and black money.

"Elections are held in many countries using this system," he said.

Reiterating their stance on the abolition of the Women's Affairs Reforms Commission, Shafiqur said, "If the proposals of this commission are implemented, it will have a major impact on the family system of the country.

"The anti-Quran committee must be abolished. We have already warned the government about this. We hope they will take appropriate action."

Calling for unity, he said, "Some parties have failed to control their workers. If they do not refrain from extortion and social malpractices, people will develop hatred towards those parties."