Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has alleged that those who are now in government have forgotten that they were once victims of oppression and have begun following the path of the fascist Awami League.
He made the remarks while addressing a rally of the 11-party alliance in Sylhet on Saturday as the chief guest.
Urging the government to implement the July Charter, Shafiqur Rahman called on the authorities to accept people’s demands, warning that the people had learned through sacrifices, injuries and deaths how to continue their struggle for liberation.
“People have learned how to move towards freedom by giving their lives, suffering disabilities and facing bullets. Do not force them to take that path again,” he said.
Claiming that 70 per cent of voters supported change and reforms in a referendum, the Jamaat chief said his party would not allow the outcome to be disregarded.
“We will not let the referendum be insulted. Implementing the people’s verdict will take our movement to the verge of success. Bangladesh does not want fascism anymore,” he said.
Shafiqur Rahman said his party would not betray those who sacrificed their lives, the July fighters or the country’s 18 crore people.
He also criticised the BNP, alleging that the party was moving in the same direction as the Awami League by practising politicisation across different sectors and encouraging corruption.
“People will not accept this. Sheikh Hasina was removed by the people. If you establish fascism, the people will remove you as well,” he said.
The Jamaat leader called on Sylhet residents to prepare for future political movements, saying activists would have to build resistance at the grassroots level until “fascism, extortion and corruption” were eliminated from the country.
Highlighting Sylhet’s development challenges, he said the region had been neglected despite having a large expatriate population.
He demanded the completion of ongoing road projects and full development of the international airport in the city.
The rally marked the conclusion of an 11-party alliance divisional programme that began in Rajshahi, with demands including implementation of the referendum verdict, constitutional reforms and the trial of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her associates.
The event was chaired by Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Chairman Oli Ahmed.
In his speech, Oli Ahmed claimed that a united front comprising Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman, NCP leader Nahid Islam and Hefazat-e-Islam leader Mamunul Haque could lead to the government’s fall within a week.
He said the three leaders could mobilise 20 to 30 lakh people in Dhaka and bring major roads in areas including Tongi, Sayedabad and Mirpur to a standstill.
Addressing Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Oli Ahmed said, “Do not become a prime minister only for BNP; become a prime minister for the people. Otherwise, your downfall will be inevitable.”
The rally was also attended by NCP Convener and Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam, Khelafat Majlis Ameer Muminul Haque, 11-party alliance coordinator Hamidur Rahman Azad and leaders of several other alliance partners.
