Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami nayeb-e-amir Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher on Wednesday said that their party had boycotted Tuesday鈥檚 National Consensus Commission dialogue in symbolic protest against the joint statement issued and the press conference held after the London meeting between the interim government chief adviser and the acting chair of the Bangladesh Nationalist party.
Talking to journalists during a break of the Wednesday dialogue, Taher also said that the existing administration still lacked both the capacity and the willingness to conduct a free and fair election.
Criticising the home affairs adviser retired lieutenant general Jahangir Alam Chowdhury鈥檚 enthusiasm about a level playing field, he said that the current administration was failing to take meaningful steps towards ensuring a level playing field for electoral integrity.
On June 13, a much-talked-about meeting between chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and BNP acting chair Tarique Rahman was held at Dorchester Hotel in London, UK.
After the meeting, Bangladesh鈥檚 national security adviser Khalilur Rahman read out the joint statement while he and BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury spoke in the press conference.
鈥楾here are more than one hundred political parties in Bangladesh. If this practice of making joint statements continues, will the chief adviser issue joint declarations with every party he meets? This is without precedent and improper,鈥� Taher said.
He added that the Jamaat perceived the chief adviser鈥檚 stance as biased.
鈥楬owever, the Jamaat decided to join Wednesday鈥檚 NCC dialogue session after the chief justice personally called the Jamaat amir at 3:00pm on Tuesday and addressed the party concerns,鈥� Taher said.
Shortly after Taher鈥檚 remarks, several politicians, including Gano Forum general secretary Mizanur Rahman, Communist Party of Bangladesh leader Ruhin Hossain Prince and Sajedul Haque Rubel staged a walkout in protest.
They said that they had walked out in protest against the role of chief adviser鈥檚 special assistant Monir Haidar who, according to their allegation, allowed the Jamaat leader more time for talk.
NCC vice-chair Professor Ali Riaz requested them to go back to the meeting and they complied with after a short while.
