Jamaat meets Election Commission, Gazi Nazrul issue also on agenda

Jamaat-e-Islami has held talks with the Election Commission on Wednesday as the electoral body prepares draft reforms to laws and regulations regarding local government elections.

A delegation led by Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar met Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin at the Election Commission headquarters in Dhaka's Agargaon.

Election commissioners, the EC secretary and other senior officials also attended the meeting.

The discussions were expected to focus on the commission's proposed recommendations for reforming local election laws and regulations. The issue of expelled Jamaat lawmaker Gazi Nazrul Islam, who represented the Satkhira-4 constituency, was also expected to be raised, along with several other matters.

The Jamaat delegation also included Assistant Secretaries General AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad and Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, and central executive council members Advocates Jasim Uddin Sarkar and Shishir Mohammad Manir.

Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, an assistant secretary general who oversees the party's media affairs, confirmed the meeting.

The Election Commission has proposed a package of reforms, including provisions that would disqualify teachers employed under the government's Monthly Pay Order (MPO) system from contesting local government elections. Draft amendments to the local government code of conduct are also in their final stages.

Jamaat has already submitted written proposals urging the commission to include provisions in the code of conduct that would bar candidates backed by the Awami League from participating in non-party local government elections.

The party expelled Gazi Nazrul Islam after a video showing him in a private moment with a woman circulated on social media. Although Jamaat removed the Satkhira-4 lawmaker from the party, Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud previously said the commission had no authority to revoke his parliamentary seat on that basis.

Jamaat has since written to both the EC and the speaker of parliament regarding the matter.

The party has also sharply criticised the appointment of a former Election Commission Secretariat official as an additional secretary, alleging the appointment was made on the basis of political affiliation.

Jamaat leaders said the overall issues were likely to be discussed during Wednesday's meeting.

The EC plans to begin local government elections in October and is also preparing to hold a presidential election before that.