Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance today said its long march programmes have put the government under pressure to be accountable to the people’s demands.
“The government has started to feel the pressure,” said Hamidur Rahman Azad, coordinator of the alliance and Jamaat assistant secretary general, while briefing reporters after a meeting of the alliance’s top leaders today.
The meeting took place at the residence of the Leader of the Opposition on Dhaka's Minto Road ahead of the alliance’s Dhaka-Rangpur long march scheduled for September 19.
Azad said the Leader of the House had been compelled to speak about the alliance’s programme in parliament following the Dhaka-Chattogram long march on September 5.
“Whatever the people want, the opposition is doing that. The increased public trust in the opposition is our achievement,” he said.
Dhaka-Rangpur long march
During the briefing, the 11-party alliance coordinator said that they will gather at Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka at 7:00am on September 19. The long march towards Rangpur will begin after an opening rally, which will continue until 8:00am.
Azad said five roadside rallies will be held along the route -- Board Bazar intersection in Gazipur, Nagar Jalfai near the bypass in Tangail, the Chowrasta at Hatikumrul area in Sirajganj, Charmatha in Bogura and Palashbari in Gaibandha.
The programme will end with a rally at Rangpur Zila School ground.
The alliance began the programme with the Dhaka-Chattogram long march on September 5. Several roadside rallies were held on the way from Dhaka to Chattogram, followed by a concluding rally at Laldighi Maidan in Chattogram.
Six-point demand becomes seven
Azad said the six-point demand announced during the first long march had now been expanded to seven points, with demands to stop corruption, extortion, land grabbing and terrorism added to the list.
The seven demands are -- immediately forming and convening a Reform Council by implementing the referendum verdict; ensuring swift and visible justice for the July mass killings; improving law and order; resolving the electricity, fuel and fertiliser crises; controlling commodity prices; ending narrow partisanisation; and stopping corruption, extortion, land grabbing and terrorism.
Azad alleged that although the opposition had proposed forming a special committee and submitted 10 proposals to address the fuel and oil crisis, the government had not paid heed to them.
He claimed that industries were shutting down due to the gas crisis, the fertiliser shortage was putting agricultural production at risk and the government had failed to control commodity prices.
He said street programmes were continuing because no effective solution had been found, despite discussions on the issues in parliament.
Asked about political opponents and critics mocking the alliance’s “long march” programme as a “long drive”, Azad said they were using “word bombs” after failing to stop the programme.
“When you cannot stop something by any means, you try to stop it with a word bomb. But this bomb will not explode,” he said.
Azad said the objective of the long march was not to topple the government, but to realise people’s demands and bring the government under accountability.
He also questioned the recent rallies by leaders and activists of the Awami League, adding that delays in trying the “fascist forces” for the July mass killings would encourage them further.
“Does the government have no intelligence agencies, no ministries, no ministers or government officials? Are they asleep, or are they sleeping with their eyes open?” he asked.
He also questioned how large rallies could take place in areas like Gulshan, including near a BNP office and in the electoral constituency of the BNP chief.
At the same time, Azad demanded that the government clarify to the people whether there was any understanding or alliance between the ruling party and the Awami League.
