Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar has warned that the government would face public backlash if it tried to obstruct Saturday’s 11-party long march from Dhaka to Chattogram.
“We hope the government will not take any imprudent decision over the long march,” he said at a briefing at the party’s central office in Moghbazar on Friday morning.
Porwar said the long march was not aimed at ousting the government but at ensuring the implementation of the people’s mandate.
He urged the government to cooperate with the opposition programme in the interest of democracy, saying the organisers would ensure that the long march caused no harm to people’s lives or property.
“We met the Inspector General of Police and briefed him in detail about the long march, seeking cooperation. We hope to receive that cooperation from the police administration,” he said.
Porwar said the long march also presented the government with an opportunity to demonstrate tolerance towards opposition parties.
“We hope the government will demonstrate its tolerance towards the opposition through this programme,” he said.
Porwar said preparations for the long march had been completed, with nearly 1,500 vehicles expected to join the convoy.
The organisers had initially planned for around 1,000 vehicles, but the number had risen to nearly 1,500 by Friday morning, he said.
The programme will begin with an inaugural rally at Shapla Chattar in Dhaka at 7am on Saturday.
The rally will continue until 8am, after which the convoy will leave for Laldighi Maidan in Chattogram via the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway.
Roadside rallies will be held at several points along the route, including Narayanganj and Cumilla.
To save time, not all leaders of the 11 parties will speak at every stop. An advance delegation will reach the next venue ahead of the main convoy and address the gathering before the convoy and senior leaders arrive, Porwar said.
The convoy is expected to reach Laldighi Maidan by evening, around Maghrib prayer time, provided there are no major traffic or mechanical problems. A public rally involving leaders of the 11 parties will be held there.
Each vehicle will carry a sticker and identification number, while participants will be provided with delegate cards, Porwar said.
