Staff Correspondent
Controversial remarks by two Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami candidates — one in Jhalokathi and the other in Rangpur — have prompted widespread criticism and regulatory action from the Election Commission as the country is heading towards the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election.
New Age correspondent in Jhalokathi reported that the EC’s Election Investigation and Judicial Committee on Friday issued a show-cause notice to Fayzul Haque, Jamaat’s candidate for Jhalokathi-1 (Rajapur–Kathalia), for allegedly violating the electoral code of conduct by invoking religious sentiments in his campaign.
The notice, signed by committee head Rezwana Afrin, said that Fayzul Haque made the remarks during a courtyard meeting in Rajapur upazila on January 7 that could hurt religious feelings and influence voters through religious appeal.
According to the committee, Fayzul Haque suggested that even a biri smoker could be pardoned by Allah if he called for votes for Jamaat election symbol ‘Daripalla’ (traditional weighing scale).
The comment, later circulated on social media and in news reports, made the committee launch a review.
After examining credible information, media reports and online content, the committee concluded that the statement constituted a violation of the Code of Conduct for Political Parties and Candidates in Parliamentary Elections, 2025.
Fayzul Haque has been directed to appear in person before the committee and submit a written explanation on January 12, explaining why an inquiry report should not be forwarded to the EC for further action.
Meanwhile, Jamaat’s Rangpur city amir ATM Azam Khan has also come under fire for remarks comparing his withdrawal from the election to the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim.
Azam Khan made the comment at a discussion in the Kadamtala area of Pirgachha upazila on Thursday.
New Age correspondent in Rangpur reported that a one-minute-25-second video of his speech went viral on social media, sparking widespread debate and criticism.
Although Azam Khan had been Jamaat’s nominated candidate for Rangpur-4 (Pirgachha–Kaunia), he did not submit his nomination papers after the party decided, under an electoral understanding with the National Citizen Party, to leave the seat for NCP member secretary Akhtar Hossain.
In the speech, Azam said that he had been informed by the Jamaat central leadership that he had been ‘sacrificed’, and claimed they compared this with — and even greater than — the sacrifice by Prophet Ibrahim, saying that his withdrawal represented the ‘sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of men and women of Pirgachha–Kaunia.’
Following the backlash, Azam Khan, however, told reporters that his statement was a slip of tongue.
‘I did not mean it that way. I seek Allah’s mercy for my unintentional mistake,’ he said, adding that his intention was to explain how the Jamaat had set aside its own position for a greater political purpose, so that voters could develop goodwill towards the NCP.
Protesting such remark, Pirgachha upazila BNP president Aminul Islam said, ‘I have seen and heard the video. Comparing any sacrifice with the sacrifice by Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) is a sinful act. This is a major deception intended to mislead people. We have seen similar propaganda before, including claims that voting for a particular symbol would guarantee heaven.’
BASAD (Marxist) candidate for the Rangpur-4 constituency Pragati Barman said, ‘Religion must not be mixed with politics. When the two are combined, different interpretations and controversies inevitably arise.’
Source: https://www.newagebd.net/post/politics/287784/two-jamaat-candidates-remarks-spark-uproar
