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DHAKA: Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Dr Shafiqur Rahman has said the people of the country will decide who will govern it.
“We will not stop; we cannot afford to stop. We must work day and night with all our strength for the upcoming city corporation elections,” he said.
He made the remarks while addressing a Rukon conference of Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dhaka North city unit as the chief guest at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Agargaon, Dhaka, on Friday (October 23).
Dr Shafiqur Rahman said voters had complained to the party that although they had voted for Jamaat-e-Islami in the national election, their votes had been taken away.
“They told us, ‘We voted for you, but you failed to protect our votes.’ In response, we have to acknowledge our weaknesses,” he said.
He thanked Allah for the love people had shown the party, adding that the national election had helped the party identify its mistakes and weaknesses. “We must remain vigilant to ensure that the same mistakes are not repeated in the future,” he said.
Speaking about the upcoming city corporation elections, the Jamaat chief said Allah had given wisdom to those selected as candidates. He urged party members to unite the people and build a wall of resistance against wrongdoers. He also said no thief would be spared any longer.
Emphasising the need for social change, Dr Shafiqur Rahman said, “We will no longer sit back and watch the spectacle. We will protest where appropriate and build resistance wherever we have the capacity to do so.” “This country will be governed on the basis of the Quran, Insha’Allah,” he said.
He called on Rukons to work together to establish honest, competent and God-fearing leadership in the upcoming elections.
The Jamaat chief said their ultimate goal was to attain paradise. Those blessed with wealth by Allah must show proper gratitude for that blessing and prepare their place in paradise, he said.
Stressing that nothing was possible without Allah’s help, he urged party members to seek divine assistance at all times.
Referring to the mass uprising of 2024, he said 70 per cent of those who took part were people who earned their livelihoods through daily labour. He said their contributions to the cause of Allah were also extremely important.
Recalling the organisational history of Jamaat’s Dhaka North and South city units, Dr Shafiqur Rahman said both units had once been in a weak position but had reached their present standing through the sacrifice, dedication and hard work of party leaders and activists.
Addressing the Rukons, he said party officials in the past had devoted their lives to running the organisation. He urged members to work freely while remaining grateful for the blessings bestowed by Allah.
He also referred to the tests faced by Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and Prophet Ismail (AS) and their sacrifices.
Speaking as a special guest at the conference, Jamaat Secretary General Professor Mia Golam Parwar said Rukoniyat was not a position or title but a standard of commitment.
“Considering it a form of power would be a mistake. Rukoniyat carries the important responsibility of upholding moral and ethical standards in life. The higher the standard and spiritual strength of the Rukons, the stronger the organisation will become,” he said.
He said party members would have to demonstrate their dedication, sacrifice and organisational contributions in the upcoming mayoral elections. He expressed hope that these efforts would help the party achieve its desired results in mayoral and councillor elections.
Dhaka North city unit Ameer Mohammad Selim Uddin said the quality, discipline and sense of responsibility of Rukons must improve alongside their numbers. He also expressed his determination to develop trusted leadership and build a strong organisation.
At the conference, Dr Shafiqur Rahman inaugurated an app named Nagorik Sheba (Citizen Services), developed by Jamaat’s Dhaka North city unit. According to the organisers, the app offers more than 50 citizen-oriented services.
The conference was held in two sessions. During the election session, which ran from 9:45am to 11am, Rukons voted to elect the Dhaka North city unit Ameer for the 2027–2028 term. According to the organisers, more than 13,000 Rukons cast their votes.
Jamaat central executive council member Mobarak Hossain conducted the election, assisted by central executive council member and MP Nurul Islam Bulbul and central working committee member A. Sabur Fakir.
The organisational session began at 11am. Chaired by Dhaka North city unit Ameer Mohammad Selim Uddin and moderated by the unit’s Secretary Dr Muhammad Rezaul Karim, the session was also addressed by Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Rafiqul Islam Khan, MP, and central executive council members Mobarak Hossain and Nurul Islam Bulbul, MP.
