DHAKA — Kabir Ahmed, the Jamaat-e-Islami candidate for the Dhaka-9 parliamentary seat, called for honest, capable and new leadership to rebuild Bangladesh during a motorcycle procession in his support on Friday.
The procession started Friday morning from the Mugda-Maniknagar Model School grounds in the capital, traveled through Bishwa Road, Khilgaon, Sabujbagh and Mugda, and ended at Jorpukur ground at Khilgaon rail gate. Ahmed is the central vice president of the Bangladesh Workers Welfare Federation.
The procession was held under the chairmanship of Maulana Faridul Islam, a member of Jamaat-e-Islami’s central Majlis-e-Shura, member of the Dhaka Metropolitan South working council and election director for the Dhaka-9 seat. Ahmed spoke as the chief guest.
“Building a new Bangladesh requires honest, capable and new leadership,” Ahmed said in his opening remarks.
“All parties have been tested in the past. Now, to build a new Bangladesh, the people must look at Jamaat-e-Islami, a humane organization free of corruption, terrorism and extortion,” he said. “Jamaat-e-Islami is committed to giving the nation a new Bangladesh free of corruption, terrorism and extortion. If Jamaat comes to power, it will free the country from hunger, poverty and unemployment and present it to the world as a prosperous state.”
Ahmed said the country cannot be led by those who made Bangladesh world champion in corruption during their five years in power. “If they return to power, they will bankrupt the country,” he said. “Those whose past is corruption, terrorism and extortion will sit on the nation’s neck even more terrifyingly in the future. They must not be given a chance. Resistance must be built against them in every neighborhood, village, market and town.”
He urged residents to come forward under Jamaat-e-Islami’s leadership to build Dhaka-9 as a model for the new Bangladesh. “Giving the people a safe, livable and humane city is Jamaat-e-Islami’s pledge,” he said.
Ahmed said those who served as members of parliament from Dhaka-9 in the past deceived voters, embezzled thousands of crore taka through corruption and looting, became owners of banks and insurance companies, and ran for-profit schools and colleges in their own names. “They cannot be given votes again,” he said. “If they get another chance, they will build a paradise of corruption. There is no place in Jamaat-e-Islami for corruption, terrorism or extortion. Under Jamaat-e-Islami’s leadership, it is possible to build a new Bangladesh free of corruption, terrorism and extortion.”
Calling on voters to elect Jamaat-e-Islami on a trial basis once, he said the party’s pledge was that the nation would get a safe welfare state.
He urged the country to support Jamaat-e-Islami’s scales symbol to build the inclusive welfare and humane new Bangladesh that the martyrs of July had dreamed of.
Thousands of motorcyclists filled the streets of the Dhaka-9 parliamentary area with chants supporting the scales symbol.
Also present at the procession were Majlis-e-Shura members including S.M. Mahmud Hasan, assistant director of Khilgaon zone; Munir Bin Anwar, assistant director of Sabujbagh-Mugda zone; Mohammad Shahjahan, member-secretary of the Dhaka-9 Jamaat-e-Islami election management committee; Ashraful Alam Imon, metropolitan assistant media secretary; Sohel Rana Mithu, secretary of the Workers Welfare Federation Dhaka Metropolitan South; and the amirs of Mugda West, Sabujbagh South, Khilgaon North, Khilgaon South, Khilgaon East, Khilgaon Central, Sabujbagh East, Mugda North, Mugda South and Mugda East thana units.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report