Opposition Leader and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman on Wednesday said refusing to take oath as a member of the State Reform Council amounts to dishonouring “July 2024”.
“We believe that not taking oath as a member of the State Reform Council amounts to insulting July. It is because of July that this election was held and Tarique Rahman became the Prime Minister, and I became the Opposition Leader. Without July, could we have reached this position,” said Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman.
He made the remarks while taking part in a street cleaning drive with party leaders and activists in the capital’s Monipur area around 6am.
During the programme, he swept streets and collected waste into a designated vehicle for 15 to 20 minutes.
Responding to journalists, he said July must be recognised and honoured, and it is the sacred duty of parliament to implement reform proposals born from the aspirations of July.
“If the government takes initiative, we will fully cooperate as the opposition. If it does not, we will speak on behalf of the people and will not give up,” he said.
He said Jamaat leaders had taken two oaths the previous day, as members of parliament and as members of the State Reform Council, to contribute positively to the country.
“Alongside cleaning the streets, we want to remove the dirt from people’s minds through reforms and humanistic correction,” he said.
He urged party units to conduct at least 30 minutes of cleanliness drives daily after Fajr prayers and expand such efforts into broader social service activities with family participation.
He expressed hope that Mirpur would become a model area and said they would not wait for government funds, although the locality should not be deprived of its rightful entitlements.
Jamaat Central Executive Council Member and Dhaka North Ameer Md Selim Uddin, Nayeb-e-Ameer Abdur Rahman Musa, Assistant Secretary Fakhruddin Manik and Barrister Saif Uddin Khaled, among others, were present.
