10 August 2022, Wed, 9:21

Repeal the fuel price hike decision; release detained leaders, activists, and religious scholars, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman

-Dr. Shafiqur Rahman

*The nation to be rescued through a unified movement

A meeting of the central executive committee of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami was held on 10th August with party Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman in the chair.

In the meeting, Jamaat Ameer highlighted the country's ongoing economic and political situation and said the country's financial condition is getting worse. Under such circumstances, the government has pushed the nation towards a deep crisis by increasing fuel prices irratpricesly. When fuel price is being decreased globally, the Bangladesh government increased the price at that time. The minister said, when Bangladesh will collect fuel at a low price from the global market, the price will be decreased in the local market as well. Such remarks are a mockery to the people. The decision of increasing fuel prices should be repealed immediately.

Jamaat Ameer said Jamaat-e-Islami organized nationwide peaceful demonstrations protesting the fuel price hike decision. But the authority has arrested several hundred party leaders and activists from those processions. The countrymen are also suffering severely due to the excessive load shedding crisis. The government’s anti-people decisions and corruption are taking the country into danger. To free the nation from this regime, there is no alternative but to establish a pro-people government.

Jamaat Ameer further said, the government wants to stay in power forcefully by continuing torture and repression. This is why they have been continuing to detain Jamaat’s Nayeb-e-Ameer, world-renowned religious scholar and former MP Maulana Delwar Hossain Sayeedee for 12 years, party’s Assistant Secretary General ATM Azharul Islam for 11 years, and former MP Principal Maulana Abdul Khaleque Mondol for 7 years. In addition, the government has kept Jamaat’s Nayeb-e-Ameer and former MP Maulana ANM Shamsul Islam, Secretary General, and former MP Professor Mia Golam Porwar, Assistant Secretary General Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan, Chittagong city Jamaat’s Nayeb-e-Ameer and former MP Shahjahan Chowdhury and many other leaders and activists behind the bar for so many days. Secretary General Professor Mia Golam Porwar had secured bail multiple times and but then again he was re-arrested from the jail gate. Nationwide many Jamaat leaders and activists are also imprisoned. The government has jailed a significant number of renowned religious scholars for months in connection with some false allegations. Jamaat Ameer urged the government to release detained leaders, activists, and religious scholars immediately.

Jamaat Ameer said, despite tortures and repressions, Jamaat has tried to serve the flood victims this time as per its capacity. The party also tried to remain by the side of these helpless people by distributing food and gift items, educational items to the SSC, Dakhil, and equivalent examinees, and subsequently by taking part in the rehabilitation program. Ignoring state-sponsored repression, Jamaat has protested all anti-national decisions of the government including fuel price hikes and the ruling party’s unprecedented corruption, price hikes of the essential commodities, and misrule.

Jamaat Ameer finally said, the incumbent government has come to the power through a voter less farcical election and caused severe miseries to the people. So, the nation must be freed from the clutches of ongoing misrule through a unified movement. He urged all political parties and the people to launch a mass resistance and all out movement in order to establish a non-party neutral govenrment in a bid to hold a free, fair and credible election.