Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has urged that the national election be held by April next year, stating that February would be the most suitable time if necessary reforms and public trust are ensured.
Speaking on Saturday at the District and Metropolitan Ameer Conference organized by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami at the Al-Falah auditorium in Dhaka's Moghbazar, Dr Shafiqur Rahman said, "We believe two timeframes are suitable-one is in February before Ramadan. But if by then the reforms and the visible process of justice don't build public trust, then elections must be held no later than April."
Referring to the interim government's announcement of a six-month timeframe for holding elections, the Jamaat chief emphasized that weather and the surrounding context must be considered. "The last part of February and two-thirds of March will fall during Ramadan, making elections difficult during that period," he said.
He added that if the ongoing reform initiatives are genuinely implemented with proper cooperation from all stakeholders, elections can be held within the government's announced timeframe.
Jamaat Ameer urged advisers of the interim government to refrain from making politically biased statements. "If you want to make political statements, step outside the interim government and do so. You have the right to be political, but if members of a neutral interim government engage in politics, the nation will not accept it," he said.
He accused the previous government of laundering Tk 26 lakh crore and called for the publication of a white paper detailing all money laundering incidents since independence.
Shafiqur Rahman also demanded that elections be held under a Proportional Representation (PR) system to eliminate the influence of muscle power and black money in politics. "Sixty-two countries around the world use this system. Once adopted, no country has abandoned it," he noted.
Criticizing the recommendations made by the Women's Reforms Commission, he expressed strong opposition. "Some of their suggestions go completely against our cultural norms. There's no question of considering them. If such ideas mistakenly enter our society, it would destroy the social order," he warned. He also claimed that some recommendations contradict divine laws and labelled the proposals as "irrational."
He rejected the Women's Reform Commission and called for involving true representatives of women in any future reform initiatives.
Shafiqur Rahman also criticized certain political parties for failing to protect the public from their own activists. "That's why we now hear higher rates everywhere. Why should the rates be higher than before? In fact, there should be no such rates at all," he remarked, hinting at increased corruption and extortion.
Jamaat Ameer accused the Awami League of committing at least three mass killings, including the 2009 Pilkhana massacre, the May 5 Shapla Square incident, and a mass killing in July-August 2024.
From 2009 to 2024, Shafiqur Rahman alleged that the Awami League and its allies oppressed the opposition and particularly targeted Islamist groups. He remembered Jamaat leaders and activists, members of other political parties, and those killed in the July movement, stating they were victims of fascist brutality.
