One-point movement if seven demands are not met: Shafiqur Rahman warns govt from Kushtia rally, 11-party alliance heads to Sylhet next
Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Leader of the Opposition in the National Parliament Dr Shafiqur Rahman has warned that the alliance will move to a one-point movement if its seven demands are not implemented. Speaking at the closing rally of the 11-party unity's long march in Kushtia, he asked whether activists were ready to travel from Kushtia to Dhaka to join the movement if necessary.
After earlier marches from the capital toward Chattogram and Rangpur, the Jamaat-led 11-party unity has now marched from Dhaka through Khulna to Kushtia. Through roadside meetings and closing rallies at various places, the alliance has used the programmes, organised to press home its seven demands, to display its organisational presence. But at the Kushtia closing rally the leaders did not stop at calling for the demands to be met; they also signalled a stronger movement ahead.
At the closing rally at Kushtia's Shahid Abrar Fahad Stadium, Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman said: “Not one of our demands is a party demand. Every one of them is about establishing the people's rights. If you accept the seven points, there will be no need for a one-point demand; but if the seven are not accepted, one point will become inevitable. We will be forced to call that one-point movement in the interest of the country, in the interest of the people, to protect rights.”
The Jamaat Ameer also raised the expectation of forming a reform council in parliament. He said they had expected a reform council to be formed alongside a parliament elected by the people's vote, and that the council, sitting in parliament, would decide on state reform. But he alleged that more than two-thirds of the seats were captured through engineering in the election. Because of this, he said, the government is treating everything lightly. He also remarked that those who have ignored and scorned the people's verdict have met a miserable end in history.
Addressing the leaders and activists at the rally, the Jamaat Ameer asked whether they were ready to go from Kushtia to Dhaka if a one-point movement required it. He urged them to join the movement to realise the people's rights even if there was no arrangement of money or food. His remarks brought out both the pressure on the government over the seven demands and the preparation for a Dhaka-bound movement if needed.
At the rally, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar accused the BNP of breaking its promises to the people, corruption and looting. He said: “We did not want to have to come into a movement within these eight months. But the BNP leaders do not understand why we had to. Within barely eight months you can break your promises to the people, betray them, and finish everything through corruption and looting.”
Raising the allegation of partisanisation from the secretariat down to the union level, he said bribes of 1.2 million to 2 million taka had been taken for each fertiliser dealership.
Leaders of the allied parties at the closing rally also criticised various government actions and spoke of the need to intensify the movement. Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Ameer Maulana Mamunul Haq said: “Bangladesh will not be allowed to become a province of any other state. If the government does not respond as expected on the seven demands, they can turn into one point at any time.” He called on leaders and activists to stay ready to join a Dhaka-bound movement if a one-point programme comes.
The alliance's continuing long marches centre on seven demands: implementing the people's verdict of the referendum, trial of the July genocide, controlling the rising prices of daily essentials, resolving the crises of electricity, oil, gas and fertiliser, improving the law-and-order situation, ending narrow partisanisation at every level of the administration, and stopping corruption, extortion and occupation.
The demands did not number seven from the start. During the first long march toward Chattogram on 5 September, the alliance had six demands. Later, the demand to stop corruption, extortion and occupation was added to complete the seven. In the 19 September long march toward Rangpur, regional issues such as implementing the Teesta master plan gained importance alongside the national demands.
The Khulna division long march of the 11-party unity began on Saturday 31 October with an inaugural rally at the south gate of the Baitul Mokarram National Mosque in the capital. After the inaugural formalities ended at 7am, the motorcade set out toward Dhaka-Khulna-Kushtia at around 8:30am. It reached Kushtia via the Dhaka-Mawa highway, the Padma Bridge, Bhanga in Faridpur, Gopalganj, Khulna, the Rupsa Bridge, Jashore and Jhenaidah, holding roadside meetings at various places along the way.
The Khulna division programme has ended, but the 11-party unity's long marches do not stop here. The next destination is Sylhet. Under the alliance's prior plan, a long march toward Sylhet may be held on 21 November. Because of the poor state of Sylhet division's road communications, a train-based long march was initially considered, with roadside meetings near railway stations also proposed. But the plan is being reconsidered, taking into account whether the programme would disrupt ordinary passengers' train travel.
National Democratic Party (JaGPA) spokesperson Rashed Pradhan said: “We are to hold another long march toward Sylhet. After that there will be a grand rally in Dhaka. Our expectation is that once the long marches end, the people of the country will also march to Dhaka. In the meantime, we hope the BNP government will realise its mistakes, return to the right path and implement the people's verdict of the referendum. Otherwise we will have to go for a one-point movement.”
The 11-party unity's coordinator and Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Dr HM Hamidur Rahman Azad said the train route had been considered because of the poor condition of Sylhet division's roads. But the top leaders will take the final decision after discussing whether it would create any complication for ordinary passenger transport. So even if the programme is held on the scheduled date, whether it will go by road or by rail is still under discussion.
Meanwhile, proposals to hold long marches in Rajshahi and Barisal divisions have also come from local leaders. The alliance's liaison committee and top leaders have held preliminary discussions on the matter. But the dates and format of programmes in these two divisions have not yet been finalised.
Alongside the division-wise long marches, the alliance also plans a grand rally in Dhaka. An earlier announced programme had set 14 November for the Dhaka grand rally. But in subsequent planning, moving it to December has also been discussed. No final date for the grand rally has been announced yet. Announcing the next movement programme from the capital's grand rally, after completing the division-wise programmes, is also under consideration.
