Jamaat Ameer blames govt for not responding to Opposition's proposal

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Leader of the Opposition Shafiqur Rahman has alleged that the government did not respond to a proposal from the opposition to form an expert team to address the country’s energy and Gas crisis.

He said the prolonged shortage of gas, oil and other fuels was hurting industries and putting additional pressure on the economy.

Shafiqur made the remarks while speaking to journalists at the Bogura Circuit House at around 11am on Saturday.

“We told Parliament that we wanted to take part in resolving the crisis. We have an expert team. We proposed forming a government-led expert team with their involvement, but there was no response,” he said.

The opposition leader said the situation could have been less severe if alternative arrangements had been taken in time. He alleged that the government’s failure to accept the opposition’s offer of cooperation had prompted opposition parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, to take to the streets with various programmes.

Speaking about the power crisis, Shafiqur said the government initially denied the problem, although its impact was now being felt across the economy, particularly in the industrial sector. A prolonged energy shortage could disrupt production and further weaken economic activity, he warned.

Earlier in the morning, he addressed a gathering at a madrasah field in Manikpotal of Dhunat upazila, saying, “The people are not well, and the country is not well.” He also highlighted shortages of electricity and fertiliser.

Shafiqur criticised the government for allegedly preventing opposition lawmakers from raising people’s sufferings in Parliament.

He also expressed disappointment over Bogura’s pace of industrialisation, saying the district had once been known as a “mini industrial city” because of its strategic location but had yet to achieve its expected industrial potential even after 55 years of independence.

Earlier, Shafiqur visited the grave of Shaheed Abdul Malek and met his family members. Later, he attended a Jamaat Rukon conference and inaugurated construction work on the Shaheed Abdul Malek Welfare Foundation Complex.