Published : 27 Oct 2026, 02:45 PM
Updated : 27 Oct 2026, 03:08 PM
The Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance has voiced concerns over whether the upcoming local government elections will be held in a free and fair manner.
Mamunul Haque, Ameer of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis and one of the alliance leaders, has warned that the coalition may have to launch “major programmes” unless the government and the Election Commission change their approach.
He made the remarks while speaking to reporters on Tuesday afternoon following a meeting of the top leaders of the 11-party alliance on Minto Road in Dhaka.
“We have many concerns about the local government elections. We cannot be confident that these elections will be completely neutral,” Mamunul said.
Alleging that partisan individuals were being appointed to secretary-level positions at the Election Commission, he said the government was playing a “shameless role” in the matter. The Jamaat-led alliance was “concerned” about the issue, he added.
Mamunul also raised questions about the Election Commission’s role in the Thakurgaon-2 by-election.
Addressing the government and the EC, he said: “We want to see the Election Commission play the neutral role that it is supposed to play.
“If there is any deviation from that, we will not sit idle. To ensure a neutral election and uphold the voting rights of the people of Bangladesh, for which they have waged a long struggle, we will take whatever tough measures are necessary.”
Mamunul said, “Given the role of the government and the EC, we believe we may soon have to launch major programmes. We are issuing an advance warning in this regard. We hope good sense will prevail upon the government. Otherwise, we will be forced to take a tougher path.”
Long March Discussed
The top leaders of the 11-party alliance met on Tuesday morning, with Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman in the chair.
Alongside reviewing the prevailing political situation in the country, the meeting discussed plans for a Dhaka-Khulna-Kushtia long march on Oct 31.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mamunul called on people across the country to help make the long march a “success”.
National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam, Senior Joint Convener Nasiruddin Patwary, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Oli Ahmad, Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar and other senior leaders of the alliance attended the meeting.
