Jamaat-e-Islami has rejected the Election Commission's recent letter asking the party to further amend its charter to conform to the republic's constitution.

At a meeting on Sunday, it also decided to ask the EC to explain how its amended charter is at odds with the national constitution, party insiders said.

The EC on January 24 asked Jamaat to amend its constitution again as it falls short of meeting the registration criteria laid down in the representation of the people order (RPO).

In a letter to its secretary general, the com-

mission pointed out that the party's aims and objectives and some other provisions do not concur with the country's constitution.

Accordingto the RPO, apolitical party shall not be qualified for registration if its objectives are not in line with the constitution of Bangladesh.

The EC observed that Jamaat's call in its charter for establishing the rule of Islam through organised efforts warrants drastic changes to the basic structure of the country's constitution.

The constitution does not allow any amendments to its basic structure, noted the EC.

Senior Jamaat leaders at Sunday's meeting

had a detailed discussion on the commission's letter. They resolved to stick to the stance that the party's aims and objectives do not contradict the constitution, supreme law of the land, meeting sources said.

Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, Jamaat's senior assistant secretary general, yesterday told The Daily Star, "We think the amended charter we have submitted to the Election Commission is alright. Nothing in it is against the national constitution."

AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, a Jamaat lawmaker, told The Daily Star that they would soon meet the EC and say they have nothing objectionable in their amended constitution.

Kamaruzzaman said that the Communist Party calls for attaining Marxist ideals in the preamble to its constitution.

"If the Election Commission can thank them {Communist Party] in spite of that, then what's wrong with our wanting to bring about an Islamic rule?” he asked.

In its ratified charter submitted to the EC on July 22 last year, Jamaat declines to accept parliament's legislative power sanctioned by the constitution. It says people must not accept anyone except Allah as the maker of laws.

For registration before the ninth parliamentary election, Jamaat had deleted the clause horn its provisionally amended charter, said EC officials.

But in its ratified charter it has reinstated the controversial clause, they added.