Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami amir Shafiqur Rahman on Saturday alleged that the government was moving towards becoming another fascistic system by abandoning reform commitments, undermining institutional independence and allowing corruption and extortion to spread.
Shafiqur, also the leader of the opposition in the parliament, warned that they would continue movement both inside and outside the parliament if reforms were not implemented.
Shafiqur’s remarks came while addressing a divisional rally organised by the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance at Madrasah Maidan in Rajshahi.
The rally was organised in support of the alliance’s demands for implementation of the referendum verdict, easing of public suffering and a fair share of the Padma River water.
Addressing the rally, Shafiqur Rahman alleged that the government had failed to honour its pledges regarding constitutional and institutional reforms.
‘Ignoring the verdict of the referendum means insulting the people and rejecting their votes,’ he said, adding that no government in the past had survived by standing against the people.
He urged the government to admit its ‘mistakes’ and implement the reform agenda it had promised before the election.
Claiming that the government was deviating from its commitments, Shafiqur warned that it was following the same path as the previous authoritarian regimes did.
‘You are walking on the same path on which past autocrats walked. If you do not return from that path, your fate will not be different from theirs,’ Shafiqur stated.
The Jamaat amir alleged that the government had retreated from commitments to ensure constitutional reforms, judicial independence and autonomous state institutions.
He also criticised the appointment of administrators in local government bodies instead of holding elections.
Shafiqur Rahman accused the government of trying to keep the judiciary under political influence.
‘You once promised judicial independence, but now you are opposing the very reforms that would ensure it,’ he said.
He further alleged that extortion, corruption and political domination of institutions had increased under the current administration.
‘People no longer call it a nationalist party, they are calling it an extortionist party,’ he said in an apparent reference to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
The Jamaat chief said that his party would continue raising public issues both in parliament and on the streets.
‘If national problems cannot be resolved in parliament, then we will go to the people’s parliament on the streets,’ he said.
Shafiqur Rahman also criticised the government over border killings and water-sharing disputes with India, demanding implementation of the Teesta master plan and fair distribution of water from the transboundary rivers.
National Citizen Party chief coordinator (northern region) Sarjis Alam attending the rally accused the ruling BNP of attempting to control the media.
During the Awami League regime, different agencies were used to indirectly control the media through threats, Sarjis said.
‘Now, during BNP’s time, we see that they do not even care about indirect methods. Using people holding party positions, they have started occupying media outlets openly in broad daylight,’ he stated.
NCP chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary at the rally alleged ‘massive irregularities’ in the recently held 13th Jatiya Sangsad elections.
‘We stayed silent for the sake of Bangladesh even though votes were stolen. But now we are warning Tarique Rahman that if any invisible hand interferes in the upcoming local government elections, we will resist it strongly,’ he said.
Among others, Liberal Democratic Party of Bangladesh president colonel Oli Ahmad, and Jamaat-e-Islami naib-e-amir and Rajshahi-1 constituency lawmaker Mujibur Rahman spoke at the rally.
