Bangladesh, Jan. 23 -- Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami formally launched its election campaign on Thursday with a large rally in Dhaka's Mirpur area, as party chief Dr Shafiqur Rahman vowed to end extortion, resist corruption and build what he described as an "Insaaf-based Bangladesh" ahead of the 13th national parliamentary election scheduled for February 12.

The rally began at 3:00 pm at the Mirpur Adarsha High School field with recitation from the Holy Quran.

Dr Shafiqur Rahman, the Jamaat ameer and a candidate in the Dhaka-15 constituency, addressed the gathering as chief guest at a public meeting organised in Mirpur-10.

Criticising widespread extortion, he said an "unofficial tax system" had taken root across the country.

"Beyond stat...