Jamaat adamant to hold rally at Shapla Chattar despite DMP's no
The announcement comes as the party failed to secure permission from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) for the rally.
The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is resolute to hold its planned 28 October Dhaka rally at Shapla Chattar of Motijheel despite not getting permission from law enforcement agencies.
"Jamaat will hold its grand rally at Shapla Chattar in Dhaka on 28 October," Acting Ameer of Jamaat Mujibur Rahman said on Thursday (26 October) in a virtual press conference.
His announcement comes as the party failed to secure permission from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) for the rally.
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"Zero tolerance for rally by Jamaat-e-Islami. They won't be allowed to hold meetings in Dhaka city. To curb public sufferings, the DMP has requested the Awami League and the BNP to look for alternative places for their public meetings instead of streets," DMP Joint Commissioner Biplob Kumar Sarkar today told journalists at his office.
Meanwhile, condemning a DMP official's statement, Jamaat's acting chief said, "A biased police official said Jamaat won't be allowed to hold rallies. The police's duty is to facilitate a peaceful assembly, not prevent it. His statement is unconstitutional, undemocratic, extrajudicial and illegal. I strongly condemn and protest the statement of the police official."
The Jamaat leader also said holding a rally on 28 October in the capital's Shapla Chattar is the party's constitutional right.
He added that Jamaat will hold its 28 October rally in demand of establishing a caretaker government, release of Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman and other jailed leaders, and controlling rising commodity prices.
At the virtual press conference, he said, "I have appeared before you as Bangladesh is experiencing a critical and difficult political situation. As you must be aware, the 12th national parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held soon. However, no conducive environment for the election has been created yet.
"Creating a level playing field is a prerequisite for fair elections. But the government has no intention of doing that.
"Most of the country's political parties, civil society, journalists, intellectuals and the entire nation, including people of various classes, feel that there is no alternative to establish a non-partisan caretaker government for the purpose of free, fair and participatory elections.
"But the government is proceeding towards a one-sided election, ignoring the demands of people."
