Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dhaka Mahanagari Uttar held a preparatory meeting to make a success of its long march from Dhaka to Rangpur, scheduled for September 19. The meeting was held on Thursday at the regional office in Hatirjheel, Mogbazar, in the capital. It discussed organisational preparations, participation and various aspects of the September 19 programme.
Speaking as chair, Dr Muhammad Rezaul Karim, a member of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s central executive council and secretary of Dhaka Mahanagari Uttar, said: “This long march, led by Dr Shafiqur Rahman and the top leadership of the 11-party alliance, will go all the way to Rangpur, insha’Allah.” He said: “Today, through corruption, extortion and land-grabbing, this government is once again pushing the whole country back toward the fascist state of the past. Our movement exists to free the nation from its grip. This is not a movement to topple the government. We are holding this long march so that the government addresses the people’s problems.”
Dr Rezaul Karim added: “It is unfortunate but true that this government is not only rejecting the people’s mandate, but is also adopting one anti-people measure after another.” Criticising various actions of the government, he said: “We are seeing that, instead of addressing the people’s everyday problems, including the price of goods, the government is manufacturing various issues to divert public attention elsewhere.” He also said: “Those who claimed they would run the state in the light of the Medina Charter had, within six months, enacted a law that goes against the Quran and Sunnah.”
Calling on people from all walks of life to join the September 19 programme, Dr Rezaul Karim said: “Let us all take part in this peaceful long march from Manik Mia Avenue to Rangpur on the 19th. We hope the government and law-enforcement agencies will cooperate with us.”
Also present at the preparatory meeting were Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami central Majlis-e-Shura member and Dhaka Mahanagari Uttar assistant secretary Nazim Uddin Mollah, Dr Fakhruddin Manik, Yasin Arafat, central Majlis-e-Shura member Jamal Uddin, Ataur Rahman Sarkar, and various other metropolitan-level leaders. The leaders stressed that activists must prepare thoroughly to make the September 19 long march a peaceful success.