The existing laws do not allowing bar Jamaat-e-Islami from participating in the election, says the Election Commission (EC).
The commission has no jurisdiction to prevent anyone from contesting the election independently, or with a coalition, EC Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed has said told the meida on Tuesday.
His remarks came after a meeting with the Forum for Secular Bangladesh and Trial of War Criminals of 1971, at the EC Secretariat.
During the meeting, the forum handed a memorandum to the commission— making a number of demands. The demands include keeping Jamaat out of the running for the election, bringing to justice those who threaten minorities, and ensuring the security of the minorities in risky polling areas.
“We will inform [the public] about the issue regarding the participation of Jamaat-e-Islami and war criminals in the election after examining the law,” Helaluddin said.
In 2013, the High Court declared Jamaat’s registration illegal and unlawful—as many provisions of its charter ran counter to the country’s constitution and Representation of the People Order (RPO).
The forum opposed deploying the army during the election.
In the memorandum, the forum said the election is a political process in a democratic system. Deploying the army is contrary to state security and democratic culture.