Jamaat alleges discrimination in nomination scrutiny, demands removal of partisan DCs, SPs

Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher on Wednesday alleged that his party faced serious discrimination during the scrutiny of nomination papers and demanded the removal of partisan Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs) from their posts.

“There are two kinds of decisions in one country and two different applications of the same law. We have informed the Election Commission about this and protested,” Dr Taher said while talking to reporters after leading his party delegation in a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital, UNB reports. 

He said two kinds of decisions were seen on the similar issues as some partisan DCs were appointed in different places who took decisions based on their partisan attitude not laws during the scrutiny of nomination papers. “We have demanded that such partisan DCs and SPs be withdrawn and neutral officials be appointed in their place.”

Dr Taher further said Jamaat candidates faced serious discrimination in the decisions of the returning officers during the scrutiny citing inconsistencies in handling cases related to dual citizenship.

“In similar cases of dual citizenship, nomination papers were accepted in some constituencies, while in others they were rejected,” he said, adding that the nomination paper of Jamaat aspirant Mahbub Salehin in Kurigram was rejected on similar grounds.

“However, in the same situation, our candidate Barrister Mahbub Salehi from Kurigram was not accepted. We have drawn the Election Commission’s attention to this issue,” he added.

Dr Taher also alleged discriminatory treatment in cases related to past convictions during the Awami League regime.

“In one such case, three of our leaders were punished unlawfully. Among them, nomination papers of two candidates were accepted, but in the same circumstances, the nomination of our candidate Hamidur Rahman Azad was rejected,” he said.

The six-member Jamaat delegation also included its Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar and Assistant Secretary General Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair and Jamaat MP candidate Shishir Monir.