'Want people's govt, not dynasty,' Jamaat chief calls for unity, reform

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has rejected the concept of dynastic politics, calling instead for the establishment of a "government of the people" that transcends family lineages and factional interests. 

“I do not want any party’s government, nor a family-based or group-based rule. I want a government of the people. I want a united Bangladesh. We will not allow anyone to divide this country on the basis of religion, race, or ethnicity. Insha’Allah, we will turn Bangladesh into a garden of flowers where people of all faiths and communities can live together,” he said.

He made the remarks on Friday evening (Feb 6) at a campaign rally at Boalmari Stadium ground in Faridpur for Faridpur-1 constituency (Boalmari, Alfadanga and Madhukhali upazilas), in support of Jamaat-nominated and 11-party alliance-backed candidate Dr Ilias Molla.

Dr Shafiqur Rahman said Bangladesh now stands on the ruins of destruction, with February 12 offering a path toward liberation.

“For 54 years, many have tried in politics. We do not question anyone’s sincerity. The people of this country know who delivered what and who failed,” he said.

“We now want to move forward, leaving the past behind, and build a new Bangladesh. The map will not change, but the character of the state will,” he added.

He said Jamaat does not want a Bangladesh where people are killed, disappeared, tortured in secret detention cells, or harassed with false cases merely for being political opponents.

“We do not want a country where minorities are oppressed, where millions of educated youths remain unemployed, where justice is sold for money, and where the powerless are denied their rights,” he said.

He further stressed that no child should be deprived of education simply for being born into a poor family and that no one should dare to threaten the life, dignity, and property of mothers and sisters.

On elections, he said, “No injustice will be tolerated. Whoever is elected by the people’s votes, we will wholeheartedly congratulate them. But we will not accept anything beyond that.”

He described the February 12 election as a referendum on freedom, saying, “‘Yes’ means freedom, and ‘No’ means slavery. Insha’Allah, the nation will vote ‘Yes’ and pave the way for a new Bangladesh based on justice.”

Dr Shafiqur Rahman highlighted Jamaat’s commitment to religious harmony, noting that after August 5, Jamaat activists guarded mosques, temples, monasteries, and churches alike to protect religious institutions.

He said people across the country have awakened against terrorism, fascism, extortion, corruption, and violence against women, and that women themselves have now risen to defend their dignity.

At the rally, Dr Shafiqur Rahman formally introduced Dr Ilias Molla as Jamaat’s candidate for Faridpur-1 and urged voters to support him by voting for the Scales (Daripalla) symbol.

The rally was chaired by Abu Haris Molla, Nayeb Ameer of Faridpur district Jamaat, while Syed Sazzad Ali, secretary of Boalmari municipal Jamaat, conducted the proceedings.