'You are afraid of elections because you know it would end your existence': Fakhrul to Jamaat

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has accused Jamaat-e-Islami of fearing elections and attempting to delay them through demands such as introducing a proportional representation (PR) system, saying the party knows it would lose its political footing if a fair vote were held.

Speaking at a meeting with residents of Baragaon union in Thakurgaon today (11 November), Fakhrul said, "Why are you so afraid of the vote? Because you know that if an election is held, your existence will vanish."

He further questioned how parties with no local presence would get votes under a PR system. 

"There isn't a single NCP [National Citizen Party leader] in this area. So how will they even get votes? They know they won't. That's why they are echoing calls for PR voting, charter, and other such tactics — all meant to confuse people, delay the polls, and return to the old system," he said.

Fakhrul also said, "A party is now loudly promoting itself as the only patriotic, honest and righteous one in Bangladesh. They are even approaching our mothers and sisters, promising them 'tickets to heaven'."

The senior BNP leader said his party will stand only by the July charter. "BNP will not take responsibility for anything else; that responsibility must lie with the government," he said.

"We want to make it very clear to this government that after nearly nine months of talking to all political parties in the name of reform and reaching agreement on many issues, if you try to force anything on the people of this country beyond those agreed matters, then all responsibility will be yours — the people of this country will not accept that," he added.