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Opposition Leader and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqul Rahman has called for an urgent session of parliament to discuss the mounting hardships facing people, saying citizens are complaining to him about shortages of gas and water even when they meet him after prayers.
He also criticised the government over shortages of gas and electricity, deteriorating law and order, rising prices, extortion and corruption, saying these problems have become a source of growing public frustration.
Dr Shafiqul Rahman made the remarks on Friday after offering Jum’a prayers at a mosque in Pirerbagh in Mirpur, his constituency. He later spoke to journalists and exchanged greetings with local residents, including children and teenagers.
“People come to me after prayers and say, ‘Give us gas, there is no gas; give us water, there is no water,’” he said. Electricity supply was relatively better in Dhaka because it is an urban area, he added, but people in rural areas were suffering severely.
The Jamaat chief said meaningful discussions on the problems facing the public were urgently needed in parliament. He said he had already spoken to the acting Speaker and requested that an emergency session of parliament be convened.
“Opposition parties do not succeed. The government succeeds. It is the responsibility of the opposition to help the government do good work,” he said, adding that his party would cooperate with any initiative aimed at addressing public problems.
However, he said the government’s overall performance needed serious scrutiny.
“We will not say that everything the government does is bad. But the sufferings of the people have become unbearable. These issues should be discussed meaningfully in parliament,” he said.
Dr Shafiqul Rahman listed shortages of gas and electricity, water supply problems, deterioration in law and order, rising prices, theft, robbery, extortion and corruption among the major concerns.
He alleged that extortion was taking place at various levels and that corruption had increased rather than declined. He also pointed to statements by government officials acknowledging the persistence of corruption.
Questioning earlier assurances by BNP leaders that the situation would improve after the election, he said the public had now waited six months without seeing the expected improvement.
“They used to say that everything would be fixed after the election. The election has taken place and six months have passed. So why are things getting worse instead of getting better?” he asked.
The Jamaat leader alleged that the government had failed to reduce extortion and corruption, control commodity prices and resolve the gas shortage.
Even if the government had undertaken some positive initiatives, he said, those achievements were being overshadowed by the continuing suffering of ordinary people.