CUMILLA, Aug 22 (UNB): Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher has said without genuine reforms public confidence in elections will be eroded.
A hasty or poorly managed election will fail to meet people's expectations, he warned.
Speaking as the chief guest at a party programme in Cumilla city, the Jamaat leader said, "We want a participatory, free, fair, and impartial election so that all legitimate parties can participate and a level playing field must be ensured in advance."
He said if the government acts sincerely to remove these barriers, there will be no obstacle to holding elections on time. "Elections must take place; otherwise, the country could plunge into crisis," he added.
On the proportional representation (PR) system, Taher said those committed to democracy have a moral obligation to accept it, citing a recent survey that showed 71 per cent of the public supports PR.
He claimed that elections under the PR system would help prevent autocracy and ensure credibility, unlike the traditional system followed for past 54 years.
Chaired by Kazi Din Mohammad, Cumilla city Jamaat Ameer, also prospective candidate for Cumilla Sadar-6, central leader and former Feni district Ameer Prof Liakat Ali Bhuiya, Cumilla city unit Nayeb-e-Ameer AKM Emdadul Haque Mamun, Secretary Mahbubur Rahman, and Assistant Secretary Kamruzzaman Sohel, among others, spoke at the meeting.
