Porwar warns officials of accountability, says corrupt will have 'no escape route'

Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar issued a warning today (15 November) to administration and law enforcement officials, cautioning them that they will have "no path to escape" if corruption or wrongdoing is proven against them.

"Those who have worked for a particular party in the past, the chief justice has fled. The khatib of Baitul Mukarram has fled. The DIG has fled. The police commissioner has fled. OCs have left their jobs and crossed the border into India," he stated while speaking at a street rally before a procession in the Khulna-5 (Dumuria-Phultala) constituency.

Porwar pointed to the recent departures of high-ranking officials as a precedent.

"If similar allegations arise against you as well, you too will not find any escape," he warned. 

In his address, Porwar criticised previous electoral practices, claiming that if the upcoming election mirrors the "2014, 2018, and 2024" polls, the nation will face extreme hardship. He directly addressed the administration, urging them to "remain neutral, ensure a transparent election and equal opportunity for all candidates."

Porwar expressed confidence in the current political climate following the July Uprising, which he said has allowed for normal political activity. He claimed that the public desires change and believes voters will support the 'Scale' (Jamaat-e-Islami's electoral symbol) to build a peaceful Bangladesh.

The Jamaat secretary general asserted that a "wave of change has already blown among the new generation," referencing recent shifts in leadership at the student unions of major educational institutions.

"The new generation has already brought change at Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, Chittagong University, and Rajshahi University. They have overturned the country's 54 years of misrule. Following this, the nation will bring about a change in the upcoming polls as well."

He alleged, "It's proven that if a country is governed by man-made laws, peace cannot come. So let's build a state on the Quran in the future."

The Jamaat leader also called for an end to the "influence of black money" in the election, saying, "people have now declared their rejection of those who occupied the enclosures and demolished temples in the past and have sworn to vote to live in peace. We are on the path to a new Bangladesh today, after overcoming the dark era of authoritarian governments."

He alleged that candidates who spend "Tk100 crore to secure a nomination" have dishonest intentions. 

"They will engage in corruption if elected," he warned, appealing to the public to vote for honest and qualified candidates to bring about the desired change in the country.

The procession, which began at Khulna's Zero Point, travelled through Dumuria and Chuknagar before concluding at the Shiromoni Shaheed Minar Square.