Bangladesh must not be leased to anyone in the name of connectivity: Shafiqur Rahman at long march launch at Baitul Mukarram

Opposition leader and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has said Bangladesh must not be leased to anyone in the name of connectivity. He made the remarks on Saturday morning (31 October) at the inaugural rally of the 11-party unity's long march at the south gate of the national mosque Baitul Mukarram in the capital. It was the unity's Dhaka-Khulna-Jhenaidah-Kushtia long march.

At the same rally, Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General and 11-party unity coordinator Dr Hamidur Rahman Azad said a constitution reform committee must be formed immediately to reform the constitution, otherwise the government will have to leave power. He said the long march is to realise the people's demands and that people are suffering acutely because of rising prices of daily essentials.

The programme's demands include implementing the verdict of the referendum, trial of the July killings, resolving the electricity, oil, gas and fertiliser crises, stopping the rise in prices of daily essentials, ending corruption, extortion and occupation, improving the law-and-order situation and stopping narrow partisan appointments.

On the Prime Minister's recent foreign trip, Dr Shafiqur Rahman said the Prime Minister returned to Bangladesh two days ago after a four-day visit. He said she must clarify before the nation why she went and what she did, and that the nation wants to know clearly whether there is any concealment over the Matarbari deep seaport.

Shafiqur Rahman said those who accepted servitude in the past are now suffering its consequences. He said: 'They had a didi (elder sister figure), who do you have? You will not get away with deceiving the people.'

He said they had not taken to the field for any party or personal demand. These demands are the people's demands, matters of the people's suffering. Noting that two long marches had been completed successfully with the people's support and love, he prayed that today's third long march would also succeed.

On the seven-point demand, he said the main point of the seven is implementing the verdict of the referendum. Because that verdict was not implemented, the other six points arose. In his words, if that one point had been implemented, the other six would not have raised their heads, and no extortionist, occupier, corrupt person or drug kingpin could have raised their head.

Criticising the BNP, the Jamaat Ameer said the BNP has disappointed the nation, committed historic deception against the nation, broken its word after giving it, and lied standing in the national parliament. He said the BNP has mocked the nation's aspirations and the referendum verdict.

He told the BNP to return from this path in good time and implement the referendum verdict, otherwise it would have to pay a high price. He claimed the BNP has learned nothing from history, from the history of past autocracy or from its own past mistakes, and is creating new burdens for the nation every day.

Calling on the BNP, he said: accept the demands and return to a healthy course. Before parliament sits on the 9th, come back from the wrong decision and announce that the referendum verdict will be implemented. If that announcement is made, he said, the opposition will for now have no need to take any further programme.

He further said that if that is not done, the people's demand and the votes of 70 percent of the people will not be allowed to be insulted and will be realised. Calling on the nation to be ready for greater sacrifice, he especially told the youth not to listen to anyone's deception. In his words, the youth fought on the streets to bring the nation temporary liberation, and must fight once more to make that liberation lasting.

Shafiqur Rahman also commented that another inevitable revolution is knocking at the door. He called on freedom-seeking countrymen to be ready for that revolution, urged everyone to make today's long march a success and expressed gratitude to all.

Special guests who spoke at the rally included LDP Chairman and former minister Colonel (Retd) Oli Ahmed, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Ameer Allama Mamunul Haque, Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar, Bangladesh Nezame Islam Party Ameer Maulana Abdul Qaiyum Sobhani, Amar Bangladesh Party President Mujibur Rahman Manju, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party Vice-President Engineer Rashed Pradhan, Bangladesh Labour Party Chairman Dr Mostafizur Rahman Iran, Bangladesh Development Party Chairman Advocate Anwarul Islam Chan, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan Secretary General Mufti Fakhrul Islam and Chhatra Shibir central President Nurul Islam Saddam, along with other top leaders of the 11-party unity. Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam's name was also mentioned as a special guest speaker in the rally's list.