Jamaat-e-Islami yesterday asked the Election Commission to bar politically appointed local administrators from contesting the local government elections and withdraw the EC’s proposal to disqualify MPO-listed teachers from running in the polls.
The party also demanded the cancellation of the contractual appointment of EC Additional Secretary Md Shamsul Alam, alleging that he had previously served on a BNP committee on constituency delimitation. It also called for a ban on ministers and lawmakers participating in local election activities.
A six-member Jamaat delegation, led by Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar, met Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin and two election commissioners at the EC headquarters in Agargaon.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Porwar said the proposals were aimed at ensuring “free, fair, transparent, and acceptable” local body elections.
He alleged that politically appointed administrators of city corporations, district councils, and other local government bodies could use their positions and public resources to gain undue electoral advantage. “They must be declared ineligible to contest the polls. Otherwise, the elections will not be neutral or transparent.”
“We submitted in writing that MPs and ministers must not participate in election activities,” Porwar said.
Jamaat also opposed the EC’s recommendation to bar MPO-listed teachers from contesting local body polls. “This recommendation must be scrapped,” the Jamaat leader said, arguing that disqualifying MPO-listed teachers would be discriminatory.
The party also demanded that leaders and activists of banned political parties be declared ineligible to take part in elections. It added that only the EC -- not government ministers -- should announce election schedules.
Regarding the demands, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed told The Daily Star, “They [Jamaat] have submitted some proposals to us ahead of the local government election. We will review them. The commission has prepared a working paper in this regard. We will discuss it soon.”
