Dhaka, Feb 14 (V7N) — Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has demanded the postponement of the oath-taking ceremony in 30 constituencies and called for a recount of votes, citing alleged irregularities in the 13th National Parliament elections.

At a press conference held at the party office on Saturday (February 14), Jamaat leaders said they would pursue legal action after local appeals to returning officers were ignored, as the official gazette of election results has already been published. They also accused the Bangladesh Nationalist Party of failing to address attacks on leaders and activists of the 11-party alliance across the country.

Assistant Secretary General Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair stated that citizens expected a fair and transparent election. He cited incidents such as the expulsion of polling agents, irregular vote counting, unusual delays in result announcements, and alleged bias in certain constituencies. In some areas, results were declared as late as 5 a.m., while others were announced quickly, raising suspicions.

The party has specifically challenged results in constituencies where margins were between 5,000 and 10,000 votes. Written complaints have been submitted to local returning officers and the Election Commission of Bangladesh, but the gazette was published before these complaints were addressed.

Assistant Secretary Moazzem Hossain Helal added that they will seek court intervention to postpone the oath-taking in the affected seats and demand a vote recount. Previously, Maulana Mamunul Haque, candidate for Dhaka-13, filed an application with the Election Commission alleging vote rigging and requesting a recount.

Jamaat-e-Islami leaders warned that if their demands are not met, they may resort to public demonstrations to ensure action is taken.

END/SMA/AJ