Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman yesterday alleged that the results of several constituencies in the 13th national election were being “withheld” during the vote-counting process.

Speaking at a press conference at the party’s Moghbazar office around 11:45pm, Shafiqur said the returning officers were delaying announcements despite counting being completed in constituencies where his party was reportedly ahead.

Leaders of the Jamaat-led 11-party electoral alliance including Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizen Party, Mamunul Haque, ameer of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis; Mustafaizur Rahman, chairman of Bangladesh Labour Party, were present there.

Shafiqur said, “As far as we know, we are ahead in several constituencies, and counting has been completed. But the returning officers concerned are not announcing the results. It is puzzling why they are keeping them pending.”

“At one point, the [Election Commission] website suddenly showed the number of seats won by different parties. Then it disappeared. Our agents were made to wait for a long time.

“We hope to get the detailed information by tomorrow or the day after. The Election Commission has also assured that it will publish the results by February 13. We are waiting for that.”

“If they do not, we will wait for a reasonable time,” he said, questioning the “cat-and-mouse game” in some constituencies.

“Why would Dhaka-8, for instance, still remain pending? These do not reflect healthy political practices… We will consider these matters and inform the nation as much as we deem necessary so that such bad practices do not continue in the future.”

The Jamaat leader said that in an election, not everyone wins.

“Some will win; some will lose. This is the beauty of democracy. There are certain political cultures in our country, and we are in favour of changing them.

“We have already said we will not create disputes over minor issues, and we do not want to return to the old political culture. We want to practise positive politics.”

Asked whether Jamaat and the 11-party alliance fear any manipulation, Shafiqur said, “Many things have happened. But we do not want to comment on this right now.”

“Someone will certainly be held accountable for this. For that, we need to know more and verify. If I make an unconfirmed statement before you [journalists], the responsibility will fall on me later. We do not want that.”

Meanwhile, earlier at a press briefing at his main election office in Dhaka-15, the Jamaat ameer said his party would accept the results of the 13th parliamentary election, regardless of whether other parties do so.

“We believe that if voting continues the way it has so far and there is no major interference, we will accept the results, In Sha Allah, whether others accept them or not.”

Replying to a question about Jamaat’s expected performance in the polls, he said, “We believe the results may begin to take shape by around 11:00pm. It would not be appropriate for us to make any comment at this moment.”

Speaking at another press briefing, he described Jamaat as “a party with a painful history”. “Since its inception, the party has been banned repeatedly, yet it has never stopped its activities.”

Shafiqur also expressed hope that if Jamaat gets the opportunity to form the government, it would want all parties as partners.

“There was a lot of fear, panic, and propaganda that the election would not take place and that no one would be able to participate. Ultimately, the Election Commission and the people together ensured a good election.

“The credit does not belong as much to political parties as it does to those involved in election management and those who worked as guiding forces to make this election meaningful from different aspects.”

Thanking voters for their participation, Shafiqur said, “There had been widespread panic surrounding the election. But despite everything, the election has been held, and there has been no major incident.”

Regarding the possibility of victory or defeat in his own constituency, he said, “In society, mistakes can happen when people move together. The person who contested against me in this seat is also my colleague and associate. We met twice today [Thursday] as well. When we engage in such a contest, only one will win, and the other will accept it. That is normal.”