Opposition Leader and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has vowed to continue and intensify the movement until the referendum verdict is implemented.
Addressing a roadside rally at Shibbari intersection in Khulna on Saturday afternoon, he accused BNP of reneging on its pre-election promise to implement the verdict if the ‘Yes’ vote won.
He alleged that the party was now refusing to honour the people’s mandate after securing a parliamentary majority.
“Those who engineered a majority, came to power and are now disregarding the referendum decision will find that the people will not accept their decision,” he said.
The remarks came during a long march by the 11-party alliance, which began at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Dhaka earlier in the day and continued towards Khulna, Jhenaidah and Kushtia.
Speaking at inaugural rally, Shafiqur urged BNP to announce that it would implement the referendum verdict before parliament convenes on 9 November.
He said the opposition would not need to announce any further programmes for the time being if the government made such a commitment.
According to him, the failure to implement the referendum verdict had given rise to the alliance’s remaining six demands.
He claimed that implementing the original demand would have prevented extortionists, land grabbers, corrupt individuals and drug kingpins from gaining ground.
The Jamaat ameer also demanded that the government clarify the purpose and outcome of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s recent four-day visit to Japan, particularly its position on the Matarbari deep-sea port.
“Bangladesh must not be leased out to anyone in the name of connectivity,” he said.
“He must explain to the nation why he went and what he did there. In particular, the nation wants to know clearly whether anything is being concealed regarding the Matarbari deep-sea port.”
Criticising the government’s performance, he said it had done little of significance beyond distributing cards offering financial assistance.
“You are giving Tk1,000, Tk1,500, Tk2,000 or Tk2,500 through cards. But you are taking Tk5,000 from us every month just through gas and electricity bills. You cannot supply gas, but we still have to pay the bills. Electricity bills come with inflated charges,” he said.
At a roadside rally on the Mawa side of Munshiganj, Shafiqur warned, “If the government accepts the people’s demands, it will earn respect. Otherwise, it will have to face severe consequences.”
At another rally in Bhanga, Faridpur, he called for reforms.
“The whole country’s backbone is broken. So the country must be repaired. Reforms must be carried out,” he said.
Other alliance leaders also criticised the government at rallies along the route.
At the inaugural gathering, LDP President Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed warned that responsibility for any political crisis would ultimately fall on the prime minister, not those currently supporting him.
“The opposition’s job is to keep the government on the right track. A situation similar to what the BNP faced in 1996 for refusing to accept the demand for a caretaker government could arise again,” he said.
Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar accused the BNP of returning to what he described as the path of authoritarian forces.
“The BNP has made a mistake by once again starting to follow the path of the fascists. If the party creates a political crisis by pushing onto the streets issues that could be resolved in parliament, it will have to face the consequences,” he said.
At a roadside rally in Naodoba, Zajira, Shariatpur, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish Ameer Mamunul Haque accused the government of misleading people through its family card and farmer card schemes.
He warned that the government would ultimately be shown a red card if it continued what he described as playing with people’s rights.
“People will not accept attempts to conceal their fundamental rights and voting rights through deception in the name of cards,” he said.
At a rally in Jashore, National Citizen Party (NCP) Senior Joint Convener Hasnat Abdullah criticised the prime minister’s plans, arguing that Bangladesh needed a transformation of the state system rather than merely a change of government.
He said the opposition must prepare itself as an alternative government, speak out clearly against electoral rigging and abandon the politics of compromise to challenge government irregularities.
The long march began at 8:20am on Saturday at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.
Travelling from Dhaka via the Padma Bridge, the convoy held seven roadside rallies in Khulna, Jashore and Jhenaidah before reaching Kushtia Zilla School ground that night.
Vehicles carrying leaders, activists and supporters from 19 districts converged there for the concluding rally.
According to information from the Padma Bridge toll plaza, 778 vehicles belonging to the convoy crossed the bridge.
NCP Convener Nahid Islam and Member Secretary Akhter Hossen did not join the long march, although several central leaders represented the party.
They included Senior Joint Convener Hasnat Abdullah, Joint Conveners Ariful Islam Adib and Abdul Hannan Masud, and Joint Member Secretary S M Saif Mustafiz.
The NCP’s participation was described as “symbolic”.
Several NCP leaders, speaking to TIMES on condition of anonymity, said negotiations over city corporation elections had created tensions between their party and Jamaat.
They said the differences had not become serious enough to threaten the alliance’s unity.
The 11-party alliance previously organised long marches towards Chattogram on 5 September and Rangpur on 19 September.
Its next long march is scheduled for Sylhet on 21 November, followed by a grand rally in Dhaka after the series of programmes concludes.
