We want people's rule, not one-party rule: Jamaat chief Shafiqur
He claimed that the party had never abandoned the people in times of crisis and would not do so in the future.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami does not believe in one-party rule but wants governance led by the people, the party's Ameer Shafiqur Rahman said today (23 January).
Speaking at an election rally at the Thakurgaon Government Boys' High School ground this afternoon, he said, "We do not want the rule of a single party; we want the rule of the people. There will be Islamic scholars, patriotic citizens who love the country and do not accept dominance. Together, we will build the Bangladesh of the future."
"Our only card is you, the people," Shafiqur said, adding that Jamaat wants to build a Bangladesh free from dependence through public love, support and prayers.
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He claimed that the party had never abandoned the people in times of crisis and would not do so in the future.
Highlighting the country's 54 years of political reality, Shafiqur said Bangladesh has been pushed into decay through rotten politics, corruption and misrule, stressing that the system must be changed and discrimination eliminated.
Speaking about northern Bangladesh, he said the region was not poor after the country's independence but was deliberately kept behind.
"It has been treated like a stepchild, even though this region feeds and nourishes the country," he added.
The Jamaat ameer pledged that no youth would remain unemployed in the region in the future, saying every young man and woman would be turned into a nation-builder through dignified employment. He also promised to reopen closed sugar mills to restore jobs for workers.
Referring to unemployment benefits, Shafiqur said some parties talk about providing allowances to the unemployed after coming to power.
"We do not want to hand people the key to humiliation; we want to give them dignified work," he said.
He said Jamaat wants to work with everyone but set three conditions: no one should engage in corruption, no shelter should be given to corrupt individuals, and justice must be ensured for all regardless of wealth, gender, religion, or ethnicity.
"The judiciary will be completely independent, with no political interference," he added.
On economic corruption, Shafiqur said money looted from the country and laundered abroad would be recovered, and no one would be allowed to plunder national resources again.
Speaking on voting rights, he urged people to remain vigilant to protect the rights of those deprived of voting for a long time, adding that movements would continue until discrimination, corruption, extortion and autocracy are brought to an end.
