Jamaat to hold rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on Victory Day

Jamaat-e-Islami is set to organise a youth marathon and youth rally at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan, marking Victory Day on 16 December, with the programme to be led by the party's Ameer Shafiqur Rahman.

Speaking to The Business Standard, Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Ehsanul Mahbub Zobayer said the marathon will begin with a short gathering at Suhrawardy Udyan on 16 December.

The rally will proceed to Manik Mia Avenue in front of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban for a concluding assembly. According to party sources, Jamaat has never before organised a Victory Rally from Suhrawardy Udyan.

The venue is historically significant as the site of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's 7 March speech and the surrender of the Pakistani occupation forces during the Liberation War.

Last year, Jamaat-e-Islami held a Victory Day programme at Bijoynagar in the capital.

Dhaka Metropolitan South Assistant Media Secretary Ashraful Alam Emon told The Business Standard that no large stage will be set up at the venue. "A temporary stage will be made using a truck. After a brief gathering there, the marathon will be inaugurated, which will conclude at Manik Mia Avenue," he said.

He added that applications have already been submitted to the police and the Public Works Department seeking permission to organise the event. The rally is scheduled to start at 7:00am on 16 December.

Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has called upon the nation to observe Martyred Intellectuals Day on 14 December and Victory Day on 16 December with due dignity and solemnity.

In a press release issued today (13 December), Shafiqur said the two days hold profound significance in the country's national life, symbolising sacrifice, struggle and glory.

Shafiqur said 14 December and 16 December are two of the most important and meaningful days in Bangladesh's national history.

"These days stand as eternal reminders of sacrifice, struggle and pride," he said. He also offered prayers for those martyred during the July Uprising, extending condolences to the families of all martyrs and wishing a speedy recovery for the injured.

Calling for active participation in the observance of the two national days, the Jamaat chief said discussion meetings, rallies and prayers should be organised with firm commitment to protect the country's independence and sovereignty and establish people's rights.

He added that after more than 15 years of misrule, repression and enforced disappearances, people are now aspiring for peace, stability and economic recovery.

Shafiqur said, "Domestic and foreign collaborators of fascism are still attempting to destabilise the country through conspiracies. The attack on Sharif Osman Hadi on 12 December is a glaring example."

Jamaat will hold a discussion meeting at the Krishibid Institution Hall in Dhaka tomorrow in observance of Martyred Intellectuals Day. The day after, another discussion meeting will take place at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh.

Notably, the Jamaat-e-Islami was actively anti-independence during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, opposing Bangladesh's separation from Pakistan.