Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Monday warned that any attempt to divide the nation on the basis of religion, ethnicity or gender would not be tolerated, stressing the need for unity and fairness ahead of the upcoming election.
He made the remarks while addressing an election rally in Dhaka-13, where he formally handed over the ‘rickshaw’ election symbol to Mamunul Haque, the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish candidate nominated by the 11-party alliance for the constituency.
Calling for vigilance to ensure a credible and transparent election, the Jamaat Ameer urged voters and political activists to remain alert against any attempt to manipulate the polls.
“No one should be allowed to play with the fate of the people through rigging or fraud,” he said, adding that the election must reflect the genuine will of the electorate.
Dr Shafiqur Rahman also said that the objective of the election goes beyond partisan victory. “We want to establish a government of the people. This is not about the victory of a party; it is about the victory of 180 million citizens of this country,” he observed.
Expressing confidence in the younger generation, he said observations by Shadik Kayem indicated that young voters had already delivered their verdict and were ready to reject failed and divisive politics.
Vowing to end corruption and abuse of power, the Jamaat chief alleged that some government officials were still acting in a partisan manner.
“Who gave you this authority?” he asked, warning that those who had previously escaped accountability would not be spared in the future.
He also cautioned against creating instability that could lead to renewed unrest, saying the country does not want a repeat of past turmoil.
“We do not want to see July’24 repeated again and again. No one should create an environment that leads to another July’24,” he said, expressing hope that justice and fairness would ultimately prevail.
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