Decisions from Jamaat’s Emergency Meeting Revealed

The Central Executive Council of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has held a day-long crucial meeting ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election and the referendum. Important decisions regarding election campaigning, the manifesto, and contemporary political issues were made during the session.

The session began at 9:00 AM today, Saturday (January 17), at the central office in Mgbazar, chaired by Ameer-e-Jamaat Dr. Shafiqur Rahman.

During a break in the meeting, Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Jubayer, head of the Central Publicity and Media Department, told the media that the session of the Central Executive Council—a very important committee—had been ongoing since morning. He noted that the meeting would last all day, covering several vital agendas, with national election preparations being the priority.

He informed, “Several fundamental decisions regarding election preparations will be taken from this meeting. The party’s electoral activities will officially begin on January 22. Furthermore, central leaders will start nationwide tours from January 21, the full schedule of which will be finalized in today’s meeting.”

Jubayer mentioned that the reports submitted by all party committees would be reviewed and approved today. Another important meeting is set for January 22, where the party’s "Policy Paper" will be presented.

He stated that policy papers have been prepared on 19 fundamental issues. Members of various teams and delegations were invited to today's meeting alongside the executive committee to present these papers. Once finalized, they will be presented to the media on January 20.

Additionally, organizational matters are being discussed. Some topics were completed before the break, and the meeting resumed in the afternoon, likely to continue until the end of the day.

Regarding the nationwide tours, he noted that the schedule starts on January 22 in Dhaka, followed by North Bengal on January 23 and 24. The rest of the draft schedule will be shared with the media once finalized today.

The probable date for releasing the election manifesto has been set for early February, with February 1 being the tentative date. The final decision on the time and venue will be announced after today's meeting.

Outside of the meeting topics, when asked about a recently filed case, Jubayer referred to the statement already issued by Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar, which condemned the case and called for its withdrawal.

On the issue of Islami Andolan Bangladesh leaving the alliance, he said that while it wasn't discussed directly in today’s session, the 10-party Liaison Committee will discuss it and send a proposal to the top leadership. A decision will be made based on that.

Jubayer noted that one source suggested they would wait for Islami Andolan until January 19. He mentioned that NCP’s Asif Mahmud stated yesterday they would remain with the alliance, and the Liaison Committee is currently reviewing these matters.

Regarding the nomination of candidates for the 47 seats in Dhaka, he said the party’s steering committee will prepare a proposal for the top leadership, after which a final decision will be reached.

Addressing the allegations made by Islami Andolan, he said they claimed Jamaat moved away from the "One Box Policy" (the policy of all alliance votes going into one box). However, the reality is that Jamaat remains firm on that policy, maintaining the position that everyone should vote for one candidate together.

He added that although there are now 10 parties following the exit of one, seats and chairs had been allocated for Islami Andolan. Since the deadline has not passed, there is still room for discussion and understanding.