The President of Bangladesh instituted a six-member search committee for the reconstitution of the election commission as the incumbent one is serving out its tenure on 08 February 2017. Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain of the Appellate Division has been selected as the head of the committee who also headed the previous search committee, which recommended the outgoing commission. The outgoing election commission headed by Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed was marred by controversy, electoral fraud and violence so much so that major opposition parties rejected him and boycotted elections.

After a month long so-called dialogue and consultation with 31 political parties, that the President came up with a search committee headed by the same man is nothing less than a joke. It is clear that in the democratic system the people are deceived in the name of so-called dialogue and discussion. All these are nothing but an old technique for the rulers to conceal their failures and divert people’s focus from the vital issues of the Ummah. The search committee is nothing more than a staged drama; in the climax the nation will just witness another episode of political mockery in the name of elections.

Hizb ut Tahrir’s message to the people is that ‘non-partisan search committee’, ‘neutral and powerful Election Commission’ – all these are deceptive political rhetoric. Under this criminal secular democratic system, elections are not and can never be a way forward for the country. No matter who becomes the head of election commission and who are its members, a free and fair election would not bring any real change. Free and fair election will only give us a choice to elect either the Awami League alliance or BNP alliance, both of whom are failed and corrupt and yet true loyal servants of the western powers. Do not be deceived about free and fair elections. The solution to our problem lies neither in the formation of search committees nor in the institution of the Election Commission under the current unjust political system. Rather the real solution lies in the Deen of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Don’t exhaust all your sincere efforts for so-called worthless election. Let us raise our voice for real change and struggle for replacing this oppressive democratic ruling system with the ruling system of Islam, the Khilafah (Caliphate) upon the method of the Prophethood.

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Bangladesh

Monday 2nd Jumada I 1438 AH

30/01/2017 CE

Ref: 1438-05/01