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BNP, Jamaat revise constitutions

Pick registration forms; AL team explains EC about keeping associate organs

Staff Correspondent
In developments late last night, BNP made some major changes in its constitution to apply for regis-tration with the Election Commission (EC) on the closing date today.
Earlier in the day, the party and its key ally Jamaat-e-Islami collected forms from the EC Secretariat.
A couple of days back, Jamaat too brought about drastic changes in its charter to meet the criteria for registration, now mandatory for political parties seeking election to parliament.
Throughout the day yesterday, both the parties were busy readying documents required to be
attached to the forms for registration.
The interim constitution of BNP does not provide for front organisations and chapters abroad. It however has a provision like arch-rival AL's to allow associated organisations.
The changes were approved at a standing committee meeting presided over by Chairperson Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office last night.
Jamaat-e-Islami has changed 12/13 sections in its constitution. The phrases 'establishing the rule of Allah' have been replaced by 'establishing a fair and just Islamic society'.
Like BNP, it scrapped the provision for front organisations.
Besides, the party has included a section to let non - Muslims become its members.
Coming out of the two-hour meeting at around 11:00pm, BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain said, "We've had whatever changes we needed in our constitution to get registered as a political party."
Earlier at a daytime press briefing, he said that for the sake of the party's existence they are applying for registration despite the 'unjust conditions imposed' by the government.
He, however, added that it does not necessarily mean BNP will participate in the election.
BNP Joint Secretary General
SEE PAGE 15 COL 1 FROM PAGE 1
Nazrul Islam Khan collected the application form at 2:15pm. Minuets later, lamaat's Legal Affairs Secretary Jasim Uddin Sarker picked theirs.
Talking to reporters, Nazrul said they still have objections to some provisions of the revised Representation of the People Order (RPO). “We think they are irrelevant. and will undermine democracy."
Replying to a query. Jasim Uddin said Jamaat’s constitution does not have any provision running counter to those in the republic's.
"We acknowledge the Liberation War that won the country independence," he said when asked if their charter recognises the war given Jamaat’s role against the birth of Ban gladeshin 1971.
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 Jjy October is pretty much gone. “ BNP-Jamaat-led alliance had been strongly opposed to registration with the EC under the revised 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.
Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) and Bangladesher Jatiya Party (BJP), the other components of the four-party alliance, collected forms last week.
Contacted, IOJ Secretary General Abdul Latif Nezami said they have almost completed preparations and will submit the application today.
OTHER CHANGES IN bnpcharter
The provisional constitution says the party's parliamentary board will nominate parliamentary contenders from panels to be prepared by the grassroots.
In line with the revised RPO, BNP will work to ensure that 33 percent seats in all of its commit-
tees are reserved for women by 2020.
INTERIM JAMAAT STATUTE
In its provisional charter, Jamaat has been renamed Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. Before, it was Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh.
Besides, the party has included a new section that says, "Jamaat-e-Islami will work to establish an Islamic social system that guaran-tees (■ustree-i-fo r''-aH--etrfree-Bangladesh emerged as the third largest Muslim country through a heroic battle of people and freedom fighters."