The announcement of a long march towards Chattogram in September by Jamaat-e-Islami and the NCP is paving the way for the return of the activities banned Awami League in December, the Prime Minister’s Political Assistant, Rashed Khan, has said.
Speaking to journalists on Friday afternoon after a reception programme at the Muraridaha Government Primary School ground in Jhenaidah Sadar Upazila, Rashed strongly condemned recent remarks by Jamaat MP Abdullah Mohammed Taher.
Taher had reportedly claimed that the BNP government is treating opposition parties worse than the Awami League did.
“I strongly condemn the statement of the Jamaat leader,” Rashed said, claiming that Jamaat-NCP is attempting to hit the streets alongside the Awami League, which the public will not tolerate.
He pointed out that MPs from Jamaat and the NCP are demanding the same privileges in Parliament as treasury bench MPs. “Are they not receiving benefits?” he asked, saying that Jamaat was unable to unlock the padlocks of its offices for 17 years.
He accused them of dreaming of ousting the government and seizing power with the support of the Awami League, a dream he said the public would never allow them to realise.
Rashed further noted that during the home minister’s speech in Parliament, MPs of the 11-party alliance opposed the address and created a commotion. He criticised opposition MPs for questioning the home minister on enforced disappearances.
“On one hand, they are seeking justice for disappearances through the disappearance commission, and on the other, they are spreading propaganda regarding the disappearance of Salahuddin Ahmed. This is the character of Jamaat,” he remarked.
Commenting on the alliance, Rashed said that the NCP was destroyed the day it joined forces with Jamaat. “Everyone now says, ‘Whatever is Jamaat is NCP,'” he said, accusing the joint forces of conspiring to destabilise the country and preparing to take to the streets with the Awami League.
He warned that the pro-Bangladesh public would not tolerate any attempts to destabilise the nation.
The reception programme was attended by Jhenaidah District BNP President MA Majid, General Secretary Zahiduzzaman Mona, Vice President Akhteruzzaman, and Munshi Kamal Azad Pannu, along with leaders and activists of the BNP and its affiliate organisations.
