DST News: The 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami will hold a long march towards Rangpur on September 19 to press home its seven-point demands. In addition to an opening rally at Manik Mia Avenue in the capital and a concluding rally at Rangpur Zilla School, the opposition alliance will hold five roadside rallies in five districts along the route.
Hamidur Rahman Azad, coordinator of the alliance and assistant secretary-general of Jamaat-e-Islami, disclosed the program to journalists following an emergency preparatory meeting of the alliance’s liaison committee held on Sunday afternoon at the official residence of the Leader of the Opposition on Minto Road in the capital.
The 11-party alliance will begin its long march to Rangpur from Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka at 7:00am on September 19. The opening rally will continue until 8:00am. The procession will then stop for roadside rallies at Bhogorpara in Gazipur, Nagar Jalfai in Tangail, Sirajganj Chourasta, Charmatha in Bogura and Palashbari in Gaibandha. The long march will conclude with a rally at Rangpur Zilla School.
Hamidur Rahman Azad said the opposition alliance’s six-point demand had now been expanded to seven points, with the demand to stop corruption, land grabbing and extortion added to the previous six demands.
At the press briefing, Azad said the 11-party alliance was raising issues concerning public interest and people’s rights in parliament. Opposition lawmakers were also speaking about law and order, national security and the safety of citizens. He said the opposition had played a role in moving Bangladesh towards economic prosperity and a new political system.
The Jamaat leader said the opposition had also been vocal in parliament about implementing the outcome of the referendum held on constitutional reforms. He said the opposition had called for appropriate measures to resolve the country’s oil and gas crisis, but the government had failed to provide a solution.
Most recently, the Leader of the Opposition had proposed forming a joint task force or committee comprising representatives of both the government and opposition to resolve the crisis through discussions. After the committee was formed, the opposition submitted 10 proposals, but the government did not take them into consideration.
Azad said the government had pledged during the election campaign that it would not increase fuel prices within two years of coming to power. However, he said, the government had failed to honor that commitment. Factories were shutting down because of the gas shortage, while orders in the textile sector were being cancelled and shifting to neighboring countries. He warned that such developments could severely damage Bangladesh’s economy, accusing the government of failing to address the crises effectively.
Although the government had blamed the previous administration for the problems, Azad questioned what steps the current government had taken during its six months in office to resolve them. He said the government had failed to take appropriate measures. In addition to the gas shortage, the country was now facing a fertilizer shortage, which, he warned, could lead to a food crisis and cause widespread suffering.
Referring to the deteriorating law-and-order situation, Azad said the situation had taken a serious turn, with one shocking incident occurring after another. He alleged that people were being subjected to enforced disappearance and killing. He said the whereabouts of Miraj Sheikh of Khulna remained unknown and alleged that five leaders and activists of the opposition had been killed. He added that the opposition had raised the issue in parliament and was also taking a role on the streets to improve the law-and-order situation.
Azad further said political consensus was necessary to overcome the economic crisis. He called for all sides to work together to resolve the country’s problems, but alleged that the government was not considering any of the opposition’s proposals for addressing the crises.
Naseruddin Patwari, chief coordinator of the National Citizen Party (NCP); Tofazzal Hossain Miazi, joint secretary-general of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis; Rashed Pradhan, spokesperson for the Jatiya Ganotantrik Party (JAGPA); and other leaders of the parties belonging to the 11-party alliance were present at the press briefing.
Source: Prothom Alo
