In a clear signal of its intent to play a decisive role in Bangladesh’s upcoming political reckoning, Jamaat-e-Islami held a “Polling Agent Trainer Workshop” at the Moghbazar Al-Falah Auditorium on Thursday, October 2.
With four months to next election, this move marks a strategic escalation in Jamaat’s electoral campaign.
The event, organised by the party’s Central Election Department, drew senior leaders, legal experts, and grassroots organisers, underscoring Jamaat’s push to professionalise its election monitoring capacity ahead of a potential national vote in February 2026, a timeline the party is now publicly demanding.
The programme opened with a recitation from the Quran by Maulana ATM Masum, Assistant Secretary General, setting a tone of both spiritual grounding and political urgency.
But the real message came in the closing address by Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, another Assistant Secretary General, who framed the workshop as part of a broader, nationwide mobilisation around Jamaat’s “5-point demand.”
Unveiled earlier this year alongside the July Charter, the five demands call for constitutional reforms, an end to what Jamaat describes as “electoral manipulation,” restoration of voters’ rights, judicial independence, and the holding of elections under a non-partisan caretaker government—echoing a long-standing opposition rallying cry.
“Jamaat-e-Islami is committed to building Bangladesh as a just, accountable and truly democratic state,” Zubair declared. “Since 15 September, we have been running a nationwide campaign to realise these demands—and the people’s response has been overwhelming.”
He announced that the party will launch a three-day intensified programme in the second phase of its movement, aimed at galvanising public support across districts. “The streets are already filling up,” he warned. “If the government continues to ignore these reasonable, people-backed demands, the nation will have no choice but to adopt stronger measures to secure its democratic rights.”
The workshop itself was more than symbolic. Md Izzat Ullah, Secretary of the Central Election Department, and Mubarak Hossain, a senior election affairs member, delivered detailed technical briefings on polling procedures, agent responsibilities, and legal safeguards—training attendees to become trainers themselves in a cascading model designed to reach thousands of polling stations nationwide.
Delegates from across the country also contributed insights, reflecting a party that, despite years of political marginalisation, is methodically rebuilding its electoral infrastructure.
Analysts note that Jamaat’s renewed focus on election preparedness—coupled with its alignment with broader opposition calls for constitutional reform—could position it as a pivotal player in the coming political showdown. While officially barred from contesting elections since 2013 due to its registration status, the party appears determined to influence the process from the ground up.
With tensions rising over the electoral roadmap and public frustration mounting over governance, Jamaat’s message is clear: democracy, they argue, cannot be postponed—and the people are watching.