Dr Shafiqur Rahman, Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, said they want the current government to complete urgent reforms and ensure a fair and acceptable election, adding that people should elect those they trust and love.
He made this statement as chief guest at a workers' conference organized by the district Jamaat on Saturday at Kushtia Govt College ground.
From early Saturday morning, thousands of activists began gathering at the college ground despite the bitter cold. As time passed, the conference venue and the city's surroundings became packed with people.
Jamaat volunteers maintained strict vigilance, ensuring normal traffic flow in the city. For the convenience of the public, entrances to various roads were closed.
The conference was broadcast from the city's central Eidgah ground, the Govt College campus, and Mir Mosharraf Hossain Secondary School ground.
Shafiqur said, "Jamaat aims to restore the lost glory of the nation. For this, we need everyone's cooperation. We hope you will stand by Jamaat's initiatives and support them."
He said "Jamaat leaders and activists will continue working to safeguard the country's independence and sovereignty, even at the cost of their lives."
Shafiqur said, "The fascist Awami government has laundered Tk 2.6 trillion in the last 15 and a half years, which is five times the national budget."
He said, "Sheikh Rehana alone embezzled and laundered Tk 57,000 crore from the Rooppur Nuclear Project. Every mega project undertaken has been a means of mega corruption. This looted money has been invested in places like Begumpara."
"If they were true patriots, they would not have fled after plundering the nation's resources. Patriots do not run away; their aim was to deplete the nation's wealth and intellectual resources," he said.
The Jamaat Ameer said, "Jamaat leaders and activists have been subjected to killings, abductions and disappearances. Their homes and offices have been looted and bulldozed."
He said, "This persecution was not limited to Jamaat; all patriotic parties and ordinary citizens have faced such unprecedented oppression. Jamaat's registration has been cancelled and banned, while thousands of Islamic scholars have been handcuffed and dragged to prison."
Shafiqur said, "The Awami syndicates are still in place across all sectors, and new ones have also emerged. However, Jamaat does not want to see these old and new syndicates. We want to help the government destroy these syndicates with all our strength."
The conference was presided over by Prof Maulana Abul Hashem, district Jamaat Ameer, and moderated by Prof Sujauddin Jowardar, the district secretary.
Special guests included Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan, Central Executive Committee member and Jessore Regional Director Mubarak Hossain, Central Executive Committee member and Rajshahi Regional Director Principal Shahabuddin, regional team members Principal Khandaker AKM Ali Mohsin, Abdul Matin, and others.
