Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman said his party would neither engage in nor tolerate extortion if given the responsibility to run the country, pledging to uproot the practice from its roots.
Speaking at an election rally at RC College field in Mehendiganj, Barishal, he said the existing legal system represents a “gross injustice” where godfathers and mafias remain beyond the reach of the law while only petty thieves are punished.
Addressing corruption, the Jamaat leader said the party does not believe in cosmetic solutions and would work to eliminate corruption entirely. He alleged that during the tenure of the previous government, public funds were looted through banks, insurance companies and large-scale development projects.
Citing figures from Bangladesh Bank, he claimed that Tk28 lakh crore equivalent to four national budgets has been laundered abroad. He said those involved would not return the money willingly, but vowed that Jamaat-e-Islami would launch a “final struggle” to recover the funds, which he described as belonging to the country’s 180 million people.
On political transition, Shafiqur Rahman said Jamaat-e-Islami would not pursue revenge following the fall of what he termed an autocratic government. However, he said families of martyrs and victims would retain the right to seek justice.
He added that the party would provide legal assistance to those pursuing redress through the courts to ensure justice is delivered under the rule of law.
