Jamaat warns Yunus regime against political bias

Bangladesh’s radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami has warned that people would return to the streets if any member within the Yunus administration acts in favour of any particular political party, local media reported. Addressing a rally at the north gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Dhaka, Jamaat’s Assistant Secretary General Rafiqul Islam Khan said, “If any advisors, secretaries, election commissioners, or police officials want to act as party men, they should resign. Everyone knows what happened to those in the administration who acted as party stooges. If someone in a government office works for a political party, the people will not just sit idle.” The rally was held on Monday as part of the fourth phase of the simultaneous movement of Jamaat and seven other Islamist parties pressing their five-point demand, including a referendum on the July charter in November and holding the upcoming national elections under a Proportional Representation (PR) system, Bangladesh’s leading newspaper, The Daily Star, reported. Reiterating the five-point demands, Rafiqul said, “If these demands are not met, Jamaat’s movement will continue.” On the other hand, amid escalating tensions between Jamaat and National Citizens Party (NCP) over the former’s demand for a PR system, Jamaat’s secretary general Golam Porwar advised the leaders of the NCP to avoid competing with the Islamist party. The remarks came after NCP Convener Nahid Islam took to his social media platform, stating that the demand for ‘Proportional Representation (PR) Movement’ launched by Jamaat “was nothing but a calculated political deception.” “You are a new student-led political organisation. You have a long way to go to compete with Jamaat-e-Islami. Don’t try to compete with your father right after birth,” Bangladesh’s leading Bengali daily, Prothom Alo, quoted Porwar as saying. “We don’t take you that seriously yet. Don’t start criticising us as yet; you have a long road ahead,” he added, slamming the NCP. Bangladesh continues to face growing uncertainty and political turmoil ahead of next year’s election. The parties that earlier collaborated with Yunus to overthrow the democratically elected government of the Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, are now at loggerheads over reform proposals. @@@