Interim govt, EC must act in unison to hold free, fair polls

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has emphasised that the interim government and the Election Commission (EC) must act in unison to hold a free, fair, violence-free and neutral national election as the people are yet to get full confidence in the poll process.
"The symptoms are not good. Different bad symptoms have appeared (around us). Mothers and sisters are being harassed. People are being killed through attacks. Offices (of political opponents) are being burnt and election campaigns are being resisted (by the opponents). They (a particular party) are inciting a quarrel deliberately," he alleged while addressing an election rally in favour of 11-party alliance candidate for Dhaka-12 constituency Saiful Alam Khan at Karwan Bazar in the capital on Thursday.
"The interim government and the Election Commission (EC) have said that they will give the nation a best election ever in the history of Bangladesh. But people are yet to get full confidence in the election. The interim government and the EC must work together to gain public confidence (in the election). If they could not do that then both will have to take the responsibility for their collective failure," he said.
To the opponents, he said, "They (opponents) should have respect to others. They should follow the path of democracy as they are always saying about democracy. If you (the opponents) convince people to stand beside you, then there is no problem," he said.
Candidate for 11-party alliance for Dhaka -12 constituency Saiful Alam Khan, member of Jamaat Central Executive Council Mobarak Hossain and spokesperson for Jatiya Gonotantrik Party (JAGPA) Rashed Prodhan and Vice- President (VP) of Dhaka University Central Students Union (DUCSU) Md Abu Sadik were present, among others. Meanwhile, the Jamaat Ameer at another election rally at Banani in the capital said that they would establish Insaf (justice) in society.

talhabinhabib@yahoo.com