Jamaat reorganising with eye on nat'l polls

Jamaat-e-Islami lost their registration as a political party in a High Court verdict in 2013, and lost its privilege to take part in any election, although it is a major part of BNP-led 20-party alliance.

But ahead of Sylhet City Corporation election, Jamaat-e-Islami has placed a candidate as an independent one, and is working to regain their political power by reuniting their supporters.

Jamaat-backed candidate in the city polls is the party's Sylhet metro unit's Ameer and former president of Islami Chhatra Shibir's central body, Ehsanul Mahbub Jubayer.

BNP candidate Ariful Haque Chowdhury and other party leaders claimed that Jubayer is a dummy candidate of Awami League, to split the votes of the BNP-led 20-party alliance.

On the other hand, AL-nominated candidate Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran and other party seniors claimed that this is either a trick of BNP-led 20-party alliance, or their failure to keep unity.

BNP candidate Ariful will also see competition from his party's rebel candidate Badruzzaman Selim, who was the general secretary of the party's Sylhet metro unit.

Asad Uddin Ahmed, general secretary of Sylhet metro unit of AL, said BNP got a rebel of their own, and another from their alliance. “This is clearly their political problem. AL is no way liable to mechanise them to contest the polls,” he said.

Jamaat candidate Jubayer told The Daily Star that the national election is one their reasons for participating in the city polls.

“Winning the city poll is definitely a key target of our party, but we are working to reunite our party followers and supporters targeting the upcoming national election,” he said.

Ali Ahmed, general secretary of Sylhet district unit of BNP, said, “It is highly suspicious how Jamaat continued their political activities in Sylhet without any problem for the last couple of years while they were facing resistance by the ruling party all over the country.”

“All the leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir who were in jail for years, are now on bail and they are running the campaign for their candidate. It clearly shows that they have an understanding with the ruling party to get back to politics,” he said.

Sources within Jamaat's local unit said the party is focusing on the next national polls, and this is a part of the process to gain negotiating power within the 20-party alliance, by securing at least the second position in the mayoral contest of Sylhet.

The party has also backed councillor candidates at almost half of the total of 27 wards in the polls.

Lokman Ahmed, member secretary of Sylhet district (South) unit of Jamaat-e-Islami, said the city polls will be a statement of their political stance, he said.

“We do not have our own symbol, but it will not be an issue as we believe that our supporters will vote for any symbol represented by our candidate,” he said.

Lokman, also the member secretary of the 20-party alliance in Sylhet, told The Daily Star that the alliance is for national polls, and this is a local government position where they are contesting.

“We do not compromise with anyone in any way, and our participation in the city polls will not influence the upcoming national election,” he added.