Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami nayeb-e-amir Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher on Friday said that without actual reforms public confidence in elections would be undermined.
鈥楢 hasty or poorly managed election will fail to meet people鈥檚 expectations,鈥� he warned.
Speaking as the chief guest at a party programme in Cumilla city, the Jamaat leader said that they wanted a participatory, free, fair, and impartial election 鈥� a celebration of democracy. 鈥楢ll legitimate parties should be able to participate and a level playing field must be ensured beforehand.鈥�
He said that if the government acted sincerely to remove these barriers, there would be no hindrance to timely elections.
鈥楨lections must take place; otherwise, the country could face a crisis,鈥� he added.
On the proportional representation system, Taher said that those committed to democracy had a moral obligation to accept it, citing a recent survey, indicating that 71 per cent of the public supports PR.
He claimed that elections under the PR system would prevent autocracy and ensure credibility, unlike the traditional 54-year system.
Chaired by Kazi Din Mohammad, Cumilla city Jamaat amir, also prospective candidate for Cumilla Sadar-6, central leader and former Feni district amir Professor Liakat Ali Bhuiya, Cumilla city unit nayeb-e-amir AKM Emdadul Haque Mamun, secretary Mahbubur Rahman, and assistant secretary Kamruzzaman Sohel, among others, spoke.