BNP Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan collects the party registration form from an Election Commission (EC) official at the EC office in the city yesterday. Photo: STAR
Finally, BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami yesterday collected application forms for registration with the Election Commission (EC), as the deadline for submissions ends today.
Throughout the day, the parties were busy readying documents required to be attached with the forms.
While Jamaat has already finalised its provisional constitution, BNP was working on its to meet the criteria for registration, now mandatory for political parties seeking election to parliament.
Both the parties have made major amendments to their charters. Especially, Jamaat has brought about some drastic changes.
Referring to no response yet from the government to the party's seven-point demand, BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain said, “Despite imposed conditions, we have decided to go for registration to ensure the party's survival.”
After picking the form, Jamaat's Legal Affairs Secretary Jasim Uddin Sarker said they are all set to submit the application today.
In another development, an Awami League (AL) delegation yesterday met a technical committee of the EC to explain retention of the provision for associated organisations made up of students and workers.
After the meeting in the afternoon, AL Office Secretary Abdul Mannan Khan said the commission seemed to have accepted their logic.
AL insiders however said the EC committee formed to scrutinise the registration documents has in fact asked the party to change the provision as it contradicts the RPO stipulations regarding registration.
The AL team told the commission they would communicate the instructions to the party high command and come up with a reply soon, added the sources.
As of yesterday, 43 political parties have turned in applications for registration against 192 forms collected from the EC Secretariat.
Several others are expected to apply today.
Meanwhile, Liberal Democratic Party and Jatiya Party (Manju) might be given registration certificate today, said sources at the EC Secretariat.
With BNP and Jamaat now being certain to seek enrolment as political parties, the uncertainty over the EC's plans to complete registration by October is pretty much gone.
BNP-Jamaat-led four-party alliance had been strongly opposed to registration with the EC under the revised Representation of the People Order (RPO).
They had been calling for the new electoral provisions to be scrapped or suspended till the upcoming election is over.
On October 14, the EC extended the time limit for applications by five days to October 20 on request of BNP and allies.
BNP Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan collected the application form at 2:15pm. Minuets later, Jamaat's legal affairs secretary picked theirs.
The other components of the four-party alliance--Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) and Bangladesher Jatiya Party (BJP)--collected forms last week.
Talking to reporters at the EC Secretariat, Nazrul Islam said they still have objections to some of the RPO provisions. “We think they are irrelevant, and obstacles to democratic process.”
Jamaat leader Jasim said his party was working to amend its charter to meet the conditions for registration.
He claimed their constitution does not have any provision that run counter to those in the country's.
“We acknowledge the Liberation War that won the country independence,” he said to a query if Jamaat's charter recognises the war as it worked against the birth of Bangladesh in 1971.
“We are committed to defend the country's independence,” the Jamaat leader claimed.
Contacted, IOJ Secretary General Abdul Latif Nezami said they have almost completed preparations and will submit the application today.
Meanwhile, at an unscheduled press briefing yesterday, the BNP secretary general said they are applying for registration under imposed conditions. They are doing this so the party could continue to exist.
However, Delwar added, registration does not necessarily mean the party will surely participate in the election. “We are yet to decide whether to contest the December 18 polls."
He said at the recent talks with the caretaker government, they had pointed out some inconsistency and unnecessary provisions in the RPO. But those were not removed.
“It's known to all that a conspiracy is on to destroy BNP by keeping it out of the election," Delwar observed.
He said they have decided to get registered to frustrate the 'conspirators'.
The veteran BNP leader said they want the election to be contested by all parties and particularly the two former prime ministers--Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina.
CHANGES IN BNP CHARTER
According to draft proposals for amendments, BNP will dispense with the provision for front organisations that consist of students and workers. It however will have a provision like arch-rival AL's to allow associated organisations made up of students and workers.
The party also decided to disband chapters abroad. It will ask the expatriates who wants to uphold Bangladeshi nationalism to organise on their own, said party sources.
The draft of the provisional constitution also says the party's parliamentary board would nominate parliamentary contenders from panels to be prepared by the grassroots.
In line with the provisions of the revised RPO, the party will also keep a provision to ensure that 33 percent seats in all of its committees are reserved for women by 2020.
INTERIM JAMAAT STATUTE
Jamaat-e-Islami has brought changes in sections 12 and 13 of its constitution and included several new sections. The phrases 'establishing the rule of Allah' have been replaced by 'establishing a fair and just Islamic society'.
It has decided to be named Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami instead of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh.
The party has included a new section that says,"Jamaat-e-Islami will work to establish an Islamic social system that guarantees justice for all since Bangladesh emerged as the third largest Muslim country through a heroic battle of people and freedom fighters."
Jamaat has also included a section to let non-Muslims become its members.
Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=59498
