Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami wants the national parliament elections to be held before the next Ramadan.
Highlighting the risks of rain and natural disasters, the party's Amir Dr Shafiqur Rahman said, “There will be a risk of not holding the election due to natural disasters.”
“So we want the election to be held before that risk, before next Ramadan,” he continued.
He made the statement on Wednesday after a meeting with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Nicole Ann Chulick, at the residence of the deputy head of mission in Gulshan, Dhaka. Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar was also present at the meeting.
After the meeting, the Amir told journalists that they wanted to know when we want the elections to be held. “We said, the chief adviser (CA) wanted to hold the election by December 2025 or June 2026, and we want to see if he keeps his commitment,” he continued.
He also said that if they wait until June 2026, there will be various natural disaster,s including rain and storms. Then there will be a fear of not holding the election.
“We want the election to be held before Ramadan, before that fear appears,” he furthered.
Jamaat Amir said regarding the meeting, “We had an open discussion.”
“If we get the responsibility of the country in the future, they want to know what the economic policy and foreign policy will be,” the Amir continued.
“They wanted to know about the issues of the region,” Dr Shafiqur continued, adding that they addressed the issues, including minorities, labor rights, and women's rights openly.
Mentioning that the country is going through a critical period, Dr Shafiqur Rahman also said that they requested Nicole Ann Chulick to reconsider the 37 percent tariffs on Bangladesh. He is hopeful that the US will coordinate in this regard.
During the meeting, Jamaat Amir discussed the trial of the Awami League. “We also talked about the trial of the Awami League. But that was about justice,” he added.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
