Narsingdi Correspondent

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Friday said the nation must prepare for waging another major movement to ensure the next general elections are free from muscle power and bribery.

Speaking at a party rally in Narsingdi, Dr Shafiqur said he now realises that holding free and fair elections will not be so easy, and people will once again have to fight, like they did in the 2024 July uprising.

This fight will have to be waged for truly establishing “people’s rights.”

Jamaat has been repeatedly calling for holding general elections only after the completion of reform measures, needed for making the polls fair. In a meeting with the Election Commission, the Islamic party has called for introducing proportionate representative system in the polls and holding local polls beforehand.

Many experts are also of the view that local polls will ensure the credibility of national elections as the administration is likely infested with figures aligned with the ousted Awami League autocratic regime.

The local polls will also demonstrate if the current interim government is capable of preventing the reemergence of power plays by big political parties, seen in many previous elections.

However, BNP, the country’s biggest political party after Awami League, has snubbed the idea of holding local elections early, saying it would delay national polls and prolong the currently shaky internal security situation.

At the Friday rally, Dr Shafiqur also called on election officials to drop the name of dead voters, include new eligible voters and allow expatriates to cast their ballots in the next general elections.

He also lamented that Jamaat is still having to fight in courts to reclaim its right to contest in elections. The party’s Election Commission registration was cancelled during the Awami League regime.

Furthermore, he warned of taking to the streets if authorities drag their foot on acquitting Jamaat’s leader ATM Azharul Islam in false cases filed during the Awami League tenure.