Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar has said that if the ruling party, its affiliated organizations or any part of the administration creates an unfavorable environment for the opposition’s long march, the government will further lose public trust and risk facing public backlash.
However, the Jamaat-e-Islami leader said he expects the ruling party will not go down that path.
Mia Golam Parwar made the remarks at a press conference at Jamaat’s central office in Moghbazar, Dhaka, on Friday afternoon. He is the convener of the 11-party alliance’s long march implementation committee.
The 11-party alliance’s long march from Dhaka to Chattogram is set for tomorrow, Saturday. The press conference was held to announce the final preparations for the program.
At the press conference, Mia Golam Parwar said the opposition is waging a constitutional and constructive movement, both inside and outside parliament, demanding implementation of the referendum verdict. He said the long march would likewise be a peaceful, constitutional program, and that the opposition is not conducting any movement to overthrow the government.
Addressing the government, the Jamaat secretary general said it should provide administrative cooperation to help the program succeed and maintain public trust.
He said the first rally will be held at Shapla Chattar between 7 and 8 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday). Rallies will follow at Chittagong Road in Narayanganj, Poduar Bazar and Chauddagram in Cumilla, Mohipal in Feni, and Mirsharai in Chattogram. The final rally will be held at Laldighi Maidan in Chattogram.
Barring traffic congestion or other problems, the long march convoy is expected to reach Laldighi Maidan around 7 p.m. He said the schedule for this kind of program could shift somewhat, and preparations have been made for that possibility.
To reduce inconvenience to the public along the route and keep the roadside rallies brief, not all 11-party leaders will speak at every rally, Golam Parwar said. He said local units will organize the roadside rallies and local leaders and activists will attend, but leaders and activists riding in the convoy will not get out for them — only those scheduled to speak will step out.
He said more vehicles may join the convoy along the way, with newly joining vehicles placed toward the rear of the convoy.
The long march implementation committee convener said participants will be issued delegate cards, and the buses will carry stickers. Plans have also been made for how security, ambulance, the party’s cultural and IT wings, and medical team vehicles will operate.
Responding to a reporter’s question at the press conference, Mia Golam Parwar said six months is not enough time to solve every problem. But he said the “train” carrying the timeline for implementing the referendum verdict has already left the station.
Golam Parwar said the Constitution Reform Council was supposed to be sworn in within 30 days of parliament’s first session, and the July Charter implemented within 180 days. The government has not done this, he said, and it should tell parliament itself how much time implementation will take.
Noting that crime cannot be completely eliminated in the country, the Jamaat secretary general said brutality, atrocities, looting and partisan politicization could have been reduced compared to the previous government. Instead, he said, the government is following the same path.
Golam Parwar said the bravado now being shown by “fascists,” and the incitement being carried out through various devices with the tacit backing of hegemonic powers, should not have been happening within just six months.
Responding to another reporter’s question at the press conference, National Citizen Party (NCP) chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary said they currently see no risk of sabotage or disorder surrounding the long march. He said the 11 parties are united, and that wrongdoers will be deterred if everyone marches together.
However, Patwary said that if even the slightest disorder or attack occurs, responsibility will fall on the ruling party, adding that any such incident would be met with a “strong response.”
Patwary further alleged that State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam has started a “family business” — one he said was previously based in Gopalganj and has now started up in Bogura. He also alleged that news of corruption involving Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed’s son is being kept from publication in newspapers.
Earlier, at 11 a.m., a meeting on preparations for the long march was held at Jamaat’s central office.
Those present at the meeting included Jamaat Assistant Secretary General and 11-party alliance coordinator Hamidur Rahman Azad; Assistant Secretary General Abdul Halim; executive council members Motiur Rahman Akand and Mobarak Hossain; Dhaka Metropolitan South Ameer Nurul Islam Bulbul; Dhaka Metropolitan North Ameer Mohammad Selim Uddin; NCP chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary; Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) acting secretary general Billal Hossain Miazi; Bangladesh Nezame Islam Party senior naib-e-ameer Maulana Abdul Majed Athari; AB Party joint secretary general Abdullah Al Mamun; Bangladesh Labour Party chairman Mostafizur Rahman (Iran); National Democratic Party (Jagpa) spokesperson Rashed Prodhan; and Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan secretary general Maulana Fakhrul Islam, among others.