
BNP, Jamaat submit registration forms
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
FE Report
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami submitted Monday, the final day, their application to the Election Commission (EC) for registrations with amended constitutions. Jamaat-e-Islami also revised its name. From now the party will be known as "Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami instead of 'Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh' suggesting the party has link with parties in other countries having similar name.
Another member of the four-party alliance Bangladesh Jatiya Party also submitted registration form earlier in the day.
UNB adds: After submitting the registration form to the Commission at 3:45pm, close to the end of the deadline for filing the registration application, BNP joint secretary general Nazrul Islam Khan told reporters that under the amended constitution the party's standing committee and executive committee would be elected by party council.
However, there is no new constitutional stipulation about powers of the chairperson of the party. On this score, Khan said the amended Representation of People Order (RPO) does not specifically mention what should be the power of the chairperson.
He apprised the press that BNP's once-powerful front organizations will now be working as "associate organisations" as per the respective constitutions of their own.
Besides, the overseas units of BNP will be functioning as per laws of the foreign country concerned.
Registration is a prerequisite for qualifying for the general election, now set for December 18, as per the new rules framed under the politico-electoral reforms done in the current interim period.
The revised rules provide for dissociation of the front organisations, especially student and youth wings, from the political parties in view of the past political crisis.
After submitting the application form, Jamaat assistant secretary general Mohammad Quamaruzzaman said they have also replaced the words 'Allah's law' with 'social system based on Islamic justice' in the party constitution.
Jamaat also rewrote its constitution by accepting the creation of Bangladesh through a heroic struggle. "Jamaat has been conducting its activities in the country by recognizing the war of liberation," he said.
Under the revised party constitution, Quamaruzzaman said, from now on the people of any religious faith would be able to become Jamaat's member. Earlier, it was stated that any citizen will be able to become Jamaat's member.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami submitted Monday, the final day, their application to the Election Commission (EC) for registrations with amended constitutions. Jamaat-e-Islami also revised its name. From now the party will be known as "Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami instead of 'Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh' suggesting the party has link with parties in other countries having similar name.
Another member of the four-party alliance Bangladesh Jatiya Party also submitted registration form earlier in the day.
UNB adds: After submitting the registration form to the Commission at 3:45pm, close to the end of the deadline for filing the registration application, BNP joint secretary general Nazrul Islam Khan told reporters that under the amended constitution the party's standing committee and executive committee would be elected by party council.
However, there is no new constitutional stipulation about powers of the chairperson of the party. On this score, Khan said the amended Representation of People Order (RPO) does not specifically mention what should be the power of the chairperson.
He apprised the press that BNP's once-powerful front organizations will now be working as "associate organisations" as per the respective constitutions of their own.
Besides, the overseas units of BNP will be functioning as per laws of the foreign country concerned.
Registration is a prerequisite for qualifying for the general election, now set for December 18, as per the new rules framed under the politico-electoral reforms done in the current interim period.
The revised rules provide for dissociation of the front organisations, especially student and youth wings, from the political parties in view of the past political crisis.
After submitting the application form, Jamaat assistant secretary general Mohammad Quamaruzzaman said they have also replaced the words 'Allah's law' with 'social system based on Islamic justice' in the party constitution.
Jamaat also rewrote its constitution by accepting the creation of Bangladesh through a heroic struggle. "Jamaat has been conducting its activities in the country by recognizing the war of liberation," he said.
Under the revised party constitution, Quamaruzzaman said, from now on the people of any religious faith would be able to become Jamaat's member. Earlier, it was stated that any citizen will be able to become Jamaat's member.