Last update on: Wed Jun 4, 2025 04:18 AM
Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman yesterday said once a level playing field is ensured, the party will be ready to participate in elections anytime.
“We have mentioned a flexible timeline from February to April. We initially proposed February, then extended it to April. BNP has insisted on December. If elections are held in December and we feel that a truly level playing field has been created and that all state organs are prepared for a fair election, we have no issue in joining,” he said at a press conference at a hotel in the capital.
The party arranged the briefing following an Appellate Division verdict that restored Jamaat’s registration.
Shafiqur said the next national election should be held by mid-February or, at the latest, by April 2026.
“We prefer an election before Ramadan. But if necessary conditions aren’t met by then, it should not be pushed beyond April under any circumstances,” he said, adding that worsening weather from May would make elections difficult.
He clarified that Jamaat is not dictating terms. “If we specify a particular date, it may sound like a decision. That is for the government to make. We are only expressing our opinion and raising demands,” he said.
The Jamaat ameer also alleged that although the previous regime has fallen, its oppressive system remains.
He said without resolving these issues, holding elections in either December or April would be meaningless.
“The fascists may be gone, but fascism still casts a shadow over the nation,” he said, adding that only a free, fair, and acceptable election can end this.
He urged the Election Commission to return Jamaat’s party symbol and act neutrally. “If there’s any biased or exceptional behaviour, Jamaat will not stay silent,” he warned.
