Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami amir Shafiqur Rahman on Saturday said that casting a ‘Yes’ vote in the national referendum and ensuring victory for the Jamaat in the Jatiya Sangsad elections on February 12 would be the only way to realise the expected gains from the July movement.
‘The Jamaat is the only political party capable of recovering looted and laundered public money and establishing an equitable state based on justice for both men and women,’ he said.
He also claimed that the Jamaat would ensure dignity and security for women and bring fundamental reforms in the health and education sectors if voted to power.
Shafiqur was addressing an electioneering rally organised by the district Jamaat at the Sirajganj Islamia Government College ground.
The meeting was chaired by Sirajganj district Jamaat amir Md Shahinur Alam.
Jamaat central assistant secretary general and Sirajganj-4 JS constituency candidate Rafiqul Islam Khan was present as a special guest.
Referring to the economic hardship in the region, Shafiqur said that Sirajganj, once renowned for its handloom industry, was now witnessing severe distress among weavers due to the lack of fair prices of yarn and dyes and inadequate government support.
As a result, the Jamaat chief remarked, many handloom units have shut down in recent years.
He also highlighted the crisis faced by dairy farmers in Shahjadpur and Baghabari areas, saying that many had been forced to close their farms after failing to receive fair prices for milk. They even dumped milk on roads in protest, he added.
‘The Jamaat is pledging that if it comes to power, the plight of weavers will be resolved and dairy farmers will get fair prices for their produce,’ he said.
Shafiqur was also critical of past river management projects on the Jamuna, alleging corruption under the guise of dredging.
He said that the Jamaat would ensure genuine dredging and use the excavated sand to build permanent riverbank protection projects on the both sides of the river.
At the end of the rally, Shafiqur formally handed over election symbols to Jamaat and alliance candidates, urging Sirajganj residents to ensure their victory.
The candidates included Md Shahinur Alam for Sirajganj-1, Mohammad Jahidul Islam for Sirajganj-2, Rafiqul Islam Khan for Sirajganj-4, Mohammad Ali Alam for Sirajganj-5, Khelafat Majlis candidate Abdur Rauf for Sirajganj-3, and NCP caandidate Saif Mostafiz for Sirajganj-6.
