Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman yesterday said some quarters, fearing defeat, might resort to unfair practices in the February 12 polls, and vowed to resist any such attempts.
Shafiqur, addressing a series of rallies in the capital, said his party would “enter a battle” to secure a “yes” vote in the referendum.
He also urged young voters, long denied the right to vote, to take charge of the country and vowed to protect their ballots. The Jamaat chief pledged to ensure children’s basic rights and the safety of working women. He also reiterated his commitment to curb corruption and extortion to build an inclusive Bangladesh.
The first rally, organised by the party’s election committees for Dhaka-4 and Dhaka-5, was held at Kajla Par in Jatrabari.
Addressing the gathering, Shafiqur said, “We are hearing that some people, fearing defeat [in the national election], may choose crooked paths. We are not naming any specific party or individual. We hope they will step back from such actions by realising the spirit of July. If they do not, remember -- July fighters are not asleep. They have completed their first task and are now ready for the second.”
He further said, “A new profession is thriving in the country now -- extortion. Those involved should return to the right path. Arrangements will be made for their halal livelihood. If they do not abandon this path, Jamaat will show them the red card.”
Shafiqur also pledged to introduce evening bus services for women in the capital and major cities. “No oppressor will dare to harass you anymore. You will no longer face harassment at your workplaces,” he said.
At the second rally at Dhopkhola field, he urged young people to prepare to take charge of the country.
“We want to entrust Bangladesh to the youth… If any miscreant tries to interfere with the votes on the 12th, that hand must be crushed. They [youth] have come of age but have been denied their voting rights. They are eagerly waiting for the 12th. No one should be allowed to carry out any criminal activities,” he said.
He said Jamaat does not want to “sit on the throne to plunder the country.”
“We will not extort people and will not allow extortion. We will neither engage in corruption nor tolerate it,” he said, adding that to build a corruption- and extortion-free country, people must exercise their rights in the two votes scheduled for the same day.
“From today, we will enter a battle to ensure every single ‘yes’ vote. We will explain to people that if ‘yes’ wins, Bangladesh will win; if ‘yes’ is defeated, Bangladesh will be defeated,” he added.
Opposing unemployment allowances, he said such a move would create an “ocean of unemployed people.”
Referring to recent developments, he said, “When the people of Bangladesh are about to make their decision in search of liberation, many are openly interfering in our internal affairs. We would humbly but firmly request them -- please stop meddling in our internal matters.”
Speaking on Old Dhaka, the Jamaat chief said, “We will turn Old Dhaka into gold, In Sha Allah (God willing). We will show that respect to Old Dhaka.”
Calling on young people to prepare for future responsibilities, he said, “This time we have a youth-based panel. We have brought forward a large number of young people. Elect them and, In Sha Allah, Bangladesh will change.”
From the rally, Shafiqur handed over the scales symbol to Abdul Mannan, the 11-party alliance candidate for Dhaka-6, and the water-lily bud symbol to Nasiruddin Patwari of the NCP, the candidate for Dhaka-8.
At the final rally at the Alia Madrasa ground in Bakshibazar, the Jamaat ameer referred to last July’s killing of Lal Chand, also known as Sohag, a former Jubo Dal activist and scrap trader who was beaten to death in front of Mitford Hospital. He alleged that extortionists from a party demanded money from Sohag and, after he refused, killed him in broad daylight.
“A party whose activists, driven by extortion, do not spare even their own brothers, friends or colleagues -- and take lives if extortion money is not paid -- demands serious reflection from us,” he said.
Liberal Democratic Party President Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed, whose party is part of the 11-party alliance, was among the speakers at the Alia Madrasa and Dhopkhola rallies.
