KHULNA — The country is not safe in the hands of corrupt politicians and land-grabbers, Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar said Saturday, calling on voters to entrust power only to honest people.
Parwar made the remarks as chief guest at public outreach and courtyard meetings at several places in Atlia union of Dumuria upazila in Khulna-5 constituency on Saturday (Jan. 10) morning.
He was accompanied by Khulna district Jamaat-e-Islami secretary Munshi Mizanur Rahman, district assistant secretary Professor Mia Golam Quddus, district executive council member Advocate Abu Yusuf Molla, Dumuria upazila Ameer Maulana Moktar Hossain, upazila Naib-e-Ameer Gazi Saifullah and Maulana Habibur Rahman, Jamaat leader Maulana Abdul Kaium Al Faisal, Sardar Abdul Wadud, upazila Hindu committee secretary Principal Deb Prasad Mondal, Atlia union president Maulana Motiar Rahman, union secretary Hafez Moin Uddin, Chhatra Shibir central assistant research secretary Obaidur Rahman, Dumuria West Chhatra Shibir president Hamidul Hasan Limon, Shovna union president Moslem Uddin, Magurkhali union president Maulana Abdus Sobhan, Magurkhali union secretary Sohrab Hossain, Magurkhali Hindu committee secretary Bikananda Boiragi, union Ameer Sheikh Abul Hossain, union secretary Maulana Mojibur Rahman, Atlia union member Alauddin Ala, Maulana Baharul Islam, Maulana Belal Hossain and Hafez Belal Hossain, among others.
Parwar visited the homes of Krishna Kundu, Raju Kundu and Gopi Kundu in Angardaha village of Khorniya union, whose houses were destroyed by a fire caused by an electrical short circuit. He inquired about their condition and offered condolences.
Reviewing 54 years of political history since independence, Parwar said parties of every symbol — plough, boat, sheaf of paddy — have governed the country, including under military rule. “But no leader or head of government from any party has been able to stand tall and say they delivered governance free from corruption, extortion and oppression. In every era, this country has become a champion of corruption,” he said in sharp remarks.
Recalling his own time as a member of parliament, he said: “When I was elected MP, I found Dumuria to be a terror-stricken area. People would shut themselves indoors before evening. They spent nights in fear of dead bodies, disappearances and severed limbs. Alhamdulillah, in my five years I was able to make terror-ridden Dumuria free of terrorism.” Recalling the two pledges he made before the election, he said one was to suppress terrorism and the other was 100 percent transparent development.
Parwar said that during his tenure as MP he implemented about 350 crore taka (about $32 million) worth of development work and did not accept a single taka, “not even a cup of tea,” in exchange for any project. The full accounts of the development work have been published as a book, broken down by union and sector, he said. Transparency was maintained in all work covering schools, colleges, mosques, temples, roads, electricity, tube wells and crematoriums, he said.
Turning to the current election context, he alleged that there is again a conspiracy to bring corrupt people back to power. “Someone will be made MP, but he will stay in Dhaka or London. And in the area, his henchmen will run extortion, hooliganism and seizure of fishponds,” he said. He also raised allegations of thousands of crores of taka in corruption against one candidate, a 13-year court sentence and links to Hawa Bhaban.
Recalling his role in suppressing terrorism, Parwar said joint forces were formed and many terrorists were sent to jail; some fled and some left the area. He said when some innocent people were affected, he contacted the administration to protect them.
He said he could not contest in several elections because he was imprisoned for seven and a half years and was not even able to vote. But he expressed hope that if the upcoming election under the interim government is fair, people will be able to vote in a festive atmosphere.
In closing, Parwar appealed to voters: “Judge with your conscience — who is free of corruption, who has not harmed people, who has suppressed terrorism. Power can no longer be given to extortionists and land-grabbers. Entrust the vote to honest people.”
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report