Jamaat reiterates it will only participate in election under caretaker govt

The Jamaat-e-Islami once again reiterated its decision not to participate in any elections except one under a caretaker government, a press release by the party said today (24 September).

Although the country is nearing the date for the polls, the party said conditions for a free, fair and impartial election have yet not been created.

Demanding the release of its leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman, the party said, "Jamaat will never participate in any farcical and fraudulent elections. For the past 15 years, the current fascist government has been disenfranchising the people. People are being deprived of exercising their constitutional democratic rights. No election was free, fair and impartial during the tenure of this government."

The press release, issued after the party's central committee's meeting, further said that its leaders and activists had suffered the most from the government's "persecution". 

"It has been enforced by the mock execution of senior leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami in the name of justice. Hundreds of thousands of activists were arrested and tortured. They [arrestees] have repeatedly obtained bail from the High Court but are not getting released. Despite directions from the High Court not to re-arrest them, it is not being obeyed."