Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has decided to take part in the presidential election scheduled for August 20, with its candidate to be finalised through the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance.
The announcement was made through a press release shortly after a meeting of Jamaat’s central executive council led by Jamaat chief and Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman at the party’s central office in Dhaka on Saturday evening.
The decision to participate in the election was taken unanimously, said the press release.
Jamaat said the top leaders of the 11-party alliance are set to meet Sunday to finalise the candidate.
Speaking to The Daily Star after yesterday’s executive council meeting, Saiful Alam Khan Milon, a member of Jamaat’s central executive council and its lawmaker from Dhaka-12, said, “We will participate in the election. The final decision will be taken through the 11-party alliance. The alliance is likely to meet tomorrow (Sunday),” he said.
Milon indicated that Jamaat was looking to field a candidate who would have broad public acceptance, without disclosing any name.
“Whatever is the result, it’s not an issue. We will field a very good candidate, whom the nation will accept,” he said.
Asked why Jamaat was participating despite the ruling party’s parliamentary majority making the election outcome largely predictable, Milon said the party would not base its decision on the ruling party’s position.
“We will contest the election. We will not act on the instructions of the ruling party,” he said, adding that, “The ruling party will do its job, and we are doing ours.”
Jamaat in the press release said the meeting also discussed the overall political situation in the country, constitutional reform and various programmes announced by the 11-party alliance.
Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar and other members of the executive council were present in the meeting.
NCP yet to decide
Meanwhile, National Citizen Party (NCP) Member Secretary Akhter Hossen said the party was yet to decide whether it should participate in the presidential election.
“Discussions are still underway. We have a meeting on Sunday, and we will be able to confirm our position after that,” he told The Daily Star.
Khelafat Majlis against fielding candidate
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, another partner in the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance, has no plan to field a candidate in the presidential election, said its Secretary General Maulana Jalaluddin Ahmed.
Speaking to The Daily Star on Saturday night, Jalaluddin said the issue was not discussed at the party’s regular monthly meeting of its central committee.
Asked about his personal view as the party’s secretary general, Jalaluddin said, “You know who the voters are in this election. The members of parliament are the voters.”
Pointing to the BNP’s two-thirds majority in parliament, he said, “What is the point of fielding a presidential candidate? We have no intention of fielding one.”
He also said he expected the 11-party alliance might eventually decide against fielding a candidate.
“I think the 11-party alliance will also decide not to field a candidate,” he said.
According to the Election Commission’s announced schedule, the presidential election will be held on August 20, with polling scheduled from 2:00pm to 5:00pm.
August 13 is the deadline for submitting nomination papers for the presidential election.
Nomination papers will be scrutinised on August 16. If there is only one valid candidate, the Election Commission will declare the said candidate elected.
Under the constitution, only members of parliament can vote in a presidential election. With the BNP holding an overwhelming majority in the current parliament, its nominee is considered the most likely to become president, although the party has yet to officially announce a candidate.
Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/politics/news/jamaat-join-presidential-race-eyes-befitting-acceptable-candidate-4243111
