Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar has said a serious conspiracy is underway to derail the government's national consensus initiative, claiming that while most political parties support the interim government's reform efforts, one party's opposition is obstructing the process.“Although most political parties in the country have agreed to and expressed support for the interim government's initiative to reform the state and build national consensus, one particular party is opposing it. As a result, the process of forming national consensus is being hindered,” Parwar said on Thursday night while addressing the organizational conference of Jamaat's Dhaka Metropolitan North and South units, held at the Council Hall of the Institution of Diploma Engineers in Kakrail, Dhaka.The information was disclosed in a press release issued by Jamaat on Friday.
Parwar urged all political parties to rise above personal and partisan interests and make sacrifices in the greater interest of the nation.
Claiming that a proportional representation (PR) electoral system prevents the establishment of one-party rule, Parwar said: “Due to one-party rule, people still have to fight for their rights even 54 years after independence. One-party rule fosters fascism among those in power. But under the PR system, there is no scope for vote rigging, and people’s votes are truly reflected. Therefore, the PR system is the best option for elections.”
He further said: “The interim government has pledged to hold free and fair elections. However, the actions of certain parties have raised public doubts about the credibility of the upcoming polls. Jamaat-e-Islami has therefore demanded that local government elections be held prior to the national elections.
“If local elections are held first, it will demonstrate the capability of the government and the Election Commission. At the same time, it will help reduce the suffering caused by a local government system that currently lacks elected representatives. With no public representatives in city corporations, municipalities, and union councils, all local government powers are concentrated in the hands of deputy commissioners and UNOs.”
“As a result, people are forced to depend on bureaucrats. In the absence of public representatives, massive corruption is taking place at all levels of local government. That is why Jamaat-e-Islami has been demanding local government elections and national elections under the PR system as part of comprehensive state reforms,” he added.
“This is not just Jamaat-e-Islami’s demand — it is the demand of the majority of political parties in the country and of people from all walks of life,” Parwar concluded.