Jamaat doubts polls on time, says no war criminals in country
Friday, 26 October 2007
Jamaat-e-Islami said Thursday there was no anti-liberation force or war criminals in the country and doubted the polls would be held on time, reports bdnews24.com.
"There is no war criminal in Bangladesh. Only 191 war criminals of the Pakistan Army were identified and the Awami League government had granted amnesty to them," the party's secretary general Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid said in a dialogue with the Election Commission (EC).
"There is no anti-liberation force in the country, either. The January 22 election was forestalled because some parties had made irresponsible remarks about the issues," he added.
Asked what the role of Jamaat was during the 1971 war, he avoided a direct reply. "You find that out and evaluate."
Earlier, Quader Siddiqui-led Krishak Sramik Janata League, Ganotantri Party, Jatiya Party (Monju) and JSD (Rob) during their talks with the EC demanded disqualification of the anti-Liberation forces and war criminals including the Jamaat.
Mujahid said that the slow progress of EC work put implementation of its election roadmap in doubt. He said political parties should be allowed to run with the election symbols they had traditionally used.
Both Awami League and BNP recently called on the EC not to allow Jamaat-e-Islami use the scales of justice as its election symbol.
Mujahid proposed that the voter registration with photographs be completed by next June through increased cooperation of members of the armed forces, teachers, Imams of mosques as well as members of the Ulema.
He also called for steps to remove 'fear' among politicians and involve the media in the election publicity work in a bigger way.
On registration of political parties, he said the EC should adopt a more liberal policy. Any party willing to contest election should be given the opportunity to be registered this time at least.
Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda and two commissioners M Sakhawat Hossain and Sohul Hossain sat on the first day of talks with Jamaat-e-Islami.
Jamaat leaders Delwar Hossain Saidee, Muhammad Qamaruzzaman, Abdul Quader Mollah, ATM Azharul Islam and Abdur Razzak were present during the dialogue.
"There is no war criminal in Bangladesh. Only 191 war criminals of the Pakistan Army were identified and the Awami League government had granted amnesty to them," the party's secretary general Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid said in a dialogue with the Election Commission (EC).
"There is no anti-liberation force in the country, either. The January 22 election was forestalled because some parties had made irresponsible remarks about the issues," he added.
Asked what the role of Jamaat was during the 1971 war, he avoided a direct reply. "You find that out and evaluate."
Earlier, Quader Siddiqui-led Krishak Sramik Janata League, Ganotantri Party, Jatiya Party (Monju) and JSD (Rob) during their talks with the EC demanded disqualification of the anti-Liberation forces and war criminals including the Jamaat.
Mujahid said that the slow progress of EC work put implementation of its election roadmap in doubt. He said political parties should be allowed to run with the election symbols they had traditionally used.
Both Awami League and BNP recently called on the EC not to allow Jamaat-e-Islami use the scales of justice as its election symbol.
Mujahid proposed that the voter registration with photographs be completed by next June through increased cooperation of members of the armed forces, teachers, Imams of mosques as well as members of the Ulema.
He also called for steps to remove 'fear' among politicians and involve the media in the election publicity work in a bigger way.
On registration of political parties, he said the EC should adopt a more liberal policy. Any party willing to contest election should be given the opportunity to be registered this time at least.
Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda and two commissioners M Sakhawat Hossain and Sohul Hossain sat on the first day of talks with Jamaat-e-Islami.
Jamaat leaders Delwar Hossain Saidee, Muhammad Qamaruzzaman, Abdul Quader Mollah, ATM Azharul Islam and Abdur Razzak were present during the dialogue.