The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh strongly condemned the "sarcastic" comment on Jamaat and Islami Oikya Jote made by Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda for what the CEC called changing their tune about electoral reforms.

Talking to journalists yesterday, Dr Huda said, "Oh Allah! What I heard during this holy Ramadan-they made an about-turn from the dialogue."

Acting Jamaat secretary general Mohammad Qamaruzzaman in a statement said such a remark by the CEC who holds a constitutional post is not only unbecoming of him but also indecorous.

"We got surprised about his unguarded comment about Jamaat-e-Islami," he said.

Referring to the dialogue held with the Election Commission, the Jamaat leader said, "We have always made categorical statements on behalf of Jamaat-e-Islami during first two rounds of talks with the Commission.

"We had said that the conditions for registration of political parties have to be eased since the matter is new relating to political party registration, to ensure that no political party is left out from elections on the plea of registration."

But the Election Commission prepared registration rules and regulations incorporating many tough terms and conditions, "ignoring our advice", the Jamaat leader said.

So, he noted, they raised their voice during the third-round dialogue with the commission that the registration would not be possible for any political party during the timeframe.

"Under the circumstances, we think that there is no need of any mandatory rules for the registration of political parties to participate in the elections," he said, adding that Jamaat did never oppose in principle the registration of political parties.

Former ruling-party BNP and its two allies-Jamaat and IOJ-at their separate dialogue with the EC a few days made a strong plea that the revised RPO be put in abeyance and the December polls be held under the old electoral law.

And the CEC made a dig at the two Islamic parties for, he said, backtracking on their previous position on the electoral reforms in the interim period.