Play store
Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Shafiqur Rahman has said that the people of Bangladesh want to be freed from the current government, alleging that the government has failed to keep the promises it made to the public before the election.
He made the remarks on Saturday afternoon while addressing a rally in the Paduar Bazar area of Cumilla as part of an 11-party alliance’s long march. At the beginning of his speech, Shafiqur Rahman called for the swift implementation of the proposed Cumilla division and urged authorities to conduct a feasibility study on reopening Cumilla Airport.
He said the demand for a separate Cumilla division was raised alongside the demand for Sylhet division in 1994, but Cumilla was not granted divisional status at the time. Questioning what he called the “crime” of the people of Cumilla, he said there should be no further delay in implementing the division. He added that the greater Noakhali region is also seeking divisional status, but Cumilla’s demand should be addressed first.
Speaking about the law-and-order situation in Cumilla, the Jamaat chief sarcastically questioned whether there was no extortion in the district and raised questions about the role of the Home Ministry.
Regarding the 11-party alliance’s long march, he said similar programmes would be held in every divisional city, followed by a mass rally in Dhaka. He urged the people of Cumilla to participate in those programmes to press for their demands.
At the rally, National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam, who is also the Chief Whip of the opposition in Parliament, alleged that the children, family members and relatives of government ministers were becoming involved in corruption and various syndicates, increasing public suffering.
Nahid Islam said people were frustrated with the government and claimed that it had completely failed to run the country over the past six months. He also alleged that the government had failed to fulfil any of the commitments it made before the election.
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Colonel (retd.) Oli Ahmed said the government must listen to the people. He claimed that people across the country were saying they no longer wanted to see the current government in power. Criticising the country’s situation, he alleged that complaints of corruption, extortion, muscle power, land grabbing, harassment of political activists and drug-related activities were being reported in different areas.
Oli Ahmed also commented on the government’s future, saying there was widespread talk that it would fall by December. He claimed that the government would “fall under its own weight,” regardless of whether it took action or not.
Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis Amir Mamunul Haque said the people’s movement would grow if the government failed to implement the people’s verdict and take steps to reduce public suffering. He warned that the movement could eventually spread from Teknaf to Tetulia, creating a mass wave that would force the government out of power.
Mamunul Haque also alleged that the government had come to power through “vote engineering.” He said they had accepted the situation in the interest of peace and stability in the country, but warned that continued betrayal and deception regarding the 70 percent “Yes” vote would lead to consequences similar to those faced by past “fascist” governments.
Other speakers at the rally included opposition deputy leader and Jamaat Nayeb-e-Amir Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar, AB Party Chairman Mujibur Rahman Manju, NCP Chief Coordinator Nasir Uddin Patwary, NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan, and Jamaat Assistant Secretary General ATM Masum.
