Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has asserted that national unity is indispensable for Bangladesh’s progress, highlighting the country’s unparalleled communal harmony.
Speaking at a workers' conference organised by the Khulna Khan Jahan Ali Thana Jamaat-e-Islami on Sunday (1 December), he criticised the past fifteen years of mismanagement under a single political party.
“This nation belongs to everyone, not just a few. Even now, we are yet to cleanse the remnants of fifteen years of debris. Through unified efforts, we must advance the nation and work towards building a dignified and self-reliant country, with a focus on agriculture and industry," he added.
He further emphasised the need for neighbours to be friends, not overlords, stating, “We want no aggressive hands meddling in our affairs.”
In his remarks, Dr Shafiqur accused the Awami League of destroying two key patriotic institutions.
He alleged that the ruling party orchestrated the massacre of 57 skilled army officers during the BDR mutiny and executed Jamaat leaders under fabricated charges.
However, he lauded the student and public movements of July and August, which he described as a monumental response to tyranny and oppression.
He warned of ongoing provocations by allies of the deposed regime, urging people to avoid falling into such traps.
“Despite the conspiracies, they must be thwarted,” he affirmed, adding that the students and public fought to liberate the country from fascism, seeking justice and a secure future.
He called upon Jamaat activists to uphold this vision.
Professor Mia Golam Parwar, the secretary-general of Jamaat, addressed the twin challenges faced by the region - closed jute mills and waterlogging.
He criticised the Awami League government for shutting down 26 state-owned jute mills, leaving thousands unemployed, and for mismanaging water bodies like Bil Dakatia by closing sluice gates, causing widespread inundation.
Parwar stated, “The corruption in administration turned profit-making mills into loss-making entities, yet the burden was placed on workers.”
Recalling his tenure as an MP, he said, “I worked to free Dumuria and Phultala from terrorism during my time in office. If given another term, I pledge to devise long-term plans to address the region’s critical problems comprehensively, Inshallah.”
The conference, held at the Eastern Jute Mills Workers’ Ground, was presided over by Khan Jahan Ali Thana Jamaat chief Syed Hasan Mahmud Tito and moderated by Secretary Gazi Morshed Mamun. It was attended by notable Jamaat leaders, including Secretary-General Professor Mia Golam Parwar and Central Executive Council Member and Jessore-Kushtia Regional Director Mubarak Hossain.
