Aims to put pressure on EC not to cancel its registration
Jamaat-e-Islami is planning a series of long hartals, a non-cooperation campaign and other “tough” agitation programmes in its bid to prevent the Election Commission from disqualifying the party from running in the general elections.
Following a writ petition, the High Court on August 1 declared illegal the registration of Jamaat as a political party with the EC and ruled that the registration had no legal effect.
The EC said it would cancel Jamaat’s registration when it receives the full text of the High Court verdict. Once cancelled, Jamaat would not be able to take part in the general elections, a serious threat to its existence.
Jamaat, a key component in the BNP-led 18-party alliance, had filed a petition with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the High Court order but that was rejected. Like the EC, the party is waiting for the full judgment of the High Court after which it hopes to file an appeal.
While the legal battle waits for the full judgment, a number of central leaders of Jamaat told The Daily Star that they were considering “every option” to retain the registration with the EC.
Jamaat central working committee member Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher said the party plans to enforce long-duration hartals, non-cooperation programmes, and road, railway and waterway blockades across the country.
Jamaat, which actively worked against the birth of Bangladesh in 1971, was reborn in 1979 after a ban. The party suffered a severe blow when the present government formed the international crimes tribunal in 2010 to prosecute war criminals.
Of the six verdicts the two war crimes tribunals have delivered so far, four were against incumbent top Jamaat leaders and two against its former leaders.
“And we will do everything to prevent the government from excluding our party from the registered ones,” said a central Jamaat leader, adding that the party had taken part in all parliamentary elections since 1990.
Wishing not to be named, the leader said Jamaat considered the court’s verdict as a reflection of the government’s conspiracy against Jamaat.
“We will carry out all types of agitation programmes to put pressure on the government,” another Jamaat leader said.
Jamaat central leader Taher said Jamaat leaders and activists would remain engaged in “open politics” and not go underground.
Asked what would happen if their efforts failed, Taher said, in that case “we would leave no stone unturned in fighting the conspiracy”. He refused to elaborate further.
Source: The Daily Star
