Islami Andolan places 10-point demand for ‘fair’ polls

Islami Andolan Bangladesh ameer, Syed Mohammad Rezaul Karim, on Friday placed a 10-point demand for holding a fair, neutral and acceptable election.

He also raised the demand for holding of the next parliamentary election under a neutral government after dissolution of current parliament.

The demands were made from a grand rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in the city.

Rezaul Karim, also Charmonai Peer (religious leader), presided over the meeting attended by leaders and activists from across the country.

Huge number of activists with party symbol ‘Hatpakha’ (Hand Fan) joined the rally.

Rezaul Karim said the people did not go to cast vote in the 5-January 2014 election boycotted by major opposition parties including BNP.

The 10-point demand includes formation of a poll-time government after discussing with all registered political parties, reconstitution of the election commission, deployment of army with magistracy power during the election, creating a level-playing field for all political parties and dropping the initiative of using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in election.

In a bid to realise its demands, the party would hold demonstrations in the capital on 12 October, demonstrations in all districts on 14 October and submission of memorandum to the president on 16 October.

Earlier, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) placed a seven-point demand and the National Unity Process led by eminent jurist Kamal Hossain placed a five-point demand seeking a fair election under a neutral polls-time government.