Bangladesh a flower garden with Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians: Shafiqur at Habiganj rally

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman promoted religious harmony in an election rally of the 11-party alliance in Habiganj, calling Bangladesh a flower garden composed of people of all faiths.

"Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians have lived together in this land for ages. It is like a flower garden; Allah has decorated this garden with different plants," he said.

"Islam does not allow excesses on the basis of religion, it is haram (forbidden). No religious man can do such thing. Allegations have been brought against Ulamas (scholars), but no one could ever prove any of that. Those who accused us were the real looters and oppressors," the Jamaat ameer said.

"We will stop this culture," he vowed, mentioning that people have ensured social security of all faiths through cooperation after 5 August 2024.

"If elected, we will ensure security (of all faiths) all across the country InshaAllah. People of any faith will get jobs based on their talents and competence, no one will be discriminated against due to their faith," Shafiqur said.

'Forgetting tea workers is like forgetting oneself'

Referring to Moulvibazar as his birthplace, Shafiqur Rahman said that neglecting tea workers would be tantamount to forgetting his own roots, stressing the need to ensure proper healthcare and education for them.

"There are a large number of tea worker brothers and sisters here. We do not want a system where a king's son becomes a king or a queen's daughter becomes a queen," he said.

"If your child is meritorious and we take responsibility for nurturing that talent, one day he or she can become the prime minister of the country," Shafiqur made the remarks while addressing a public rally at the Nabin Chandra Government Model High School field in Kulaura municipality, Moulvibazar.

The rally was organised by the district unit of Jamaat-e-Islami.

"Country's progress depends on the youth"

Emphasising the role of young people, the Jamaat ameer said the country's progress depends on the youth and that he wants to hand over the future of the nation to them.

"This is not merely words; this comes from the heart. It is because of these young people that I am able to stand here and speak today," he added.

Shafiqur Rahman also spoke about his election plans, saying that when preparations for the polls began, many supporters at home and abroad urged him to contest from two constituencies – his birthplace Moulvibazar-2 (Kulaura) and another seat in Dhaka.

"I neither said yes nor no. Many thought I would not contest the election. But I am contesting from Dhaka," he said.

Referring to Jamaat's candidate for Moulvibazar-2, Md Sayed Ali, he said, "Even though we have one candidate in each constituency, here we have two – one shadow candidate and one real candidate. I am directly taking responsibility for the development of Kulaura."

Shafiqur Rahman hails from Bhatera union of Kulaura upazila. He previously contested the 2001 parliamentary election from the Moulvibazar-2 constituency as a candidate of the four-party alliance but was defeated.