Play store
Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General and former lawmaker Mia Golam Parwar has said there is no place for extortion, terrorism, looting, corruption, politicization or attacks on dissenting opinions in the “new Bangladesh.”
He made the remarks as the chief guest at the Youth Conference-26 organized by the Youth and Sports Department of Khulna Metropolitan Jamaat-e-Islami at the Liaquat Ali Auditorium of Khulna Press Club on Friday morning (August 14), marking International Youth Day 2026.
Parwar said forgetting promises made to the people after coming to power is also a major ailment of politics. Unless this mindset changes, the aspirations for change following the July uprising cannot be fulfilled.
Speaking about the referendum, he said there is no scope for accepting its verdict selectively. If people voted “Yes,” he argued, the entire verdict must be implemented. One cannot accept one part of a vote while rejecting another, he said, comparing such an approach to accepting one twin while rejecting the other.
Criticizing the BNP over the referendum, the Jamaat leader said BNP leaders have been talking about accepting the July Charter, but they need to clearly state their position on fully implementing the referendum verdict.
According to Parwar, the referendum has created an opportunity for important reforms, including balancing the powers of the prime minister, balancing powers between the president and prime minister, appointments to constitutional posts, and proportional representation in the upper house of parliament.
He said extortion, muscle power, looting and drug syndicates have emerged at the district, upazila, union and ward levels. Young people must come forward to break these syndicates, he said.
Praising youths in different parts of Khulna for resisting drugs, Parwar said young people are organizing anti-drug rallies, assisting police and, in some cases, handing suspected drug dealers over to law enforcement agencies. He called for such initiatives to be expanded across the country.
Criticizing violence against women and children, rape, extortion and looting, he said these crimes have taken root in society like cancer. Extortion and terrorism in the name of politics are also major social ailments, he said, urging young people to build social resistance against them.
He also urged young people to stay away from the misuse of social media. Technology itself is not harmful, he said, noting its benefits for education, information gathering and communication. However, addiction to unethical content can destroy young people’s character, he warned.
Referring to recent clashes at educational institutions, Parwar criticized the Bangladesh Chhatra Dal and alleged that its leaders and activists have been involved in attacks and conflicts at various institutions. He claimed that in many cases, Islami Chhatra Shibir did not initiate the attacks but retaliated after being attacked.
“If Chhatra Dal replaces Chhatra League but follows the same politics of control and attacks, only the name will change, not the character,” he said, adding that this was not the kind of Bangladesh people wanted after the July uprising.
Alleging that political loyalists are being appointed to various government positions, Parwar said individuals with party affiliations are being appointed to district councils, city corporations and different development authorities. Such appointments create opportunities for control over contracts, tenders and the distribution of money, he alleged.
He also alleged that elected Jamaat lawmakers in Khulna division are being obstructed from performing their duties. Elected MPs should be allowed to contribute to development activities in their constituencies, he said, adding that no one can interfere in the work of elected representatives simply because of political affiliation.
“The previous party thought the country belonged to their fathers. Now, whose country is it? The country belongs to everyone,” Parwar said. He stressed that unless this mindset changes, the aspirations of the July uprising will not be fulfilled.
