Jamaat ameer warns govt people could take to the streets to enact referendum verdict

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Opposition Leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Saturday said the men and women activists of July Uprising wanted a through revamp of the state apparatus, and not “simple constitutional amendments” the government is pursuing.

People would take to the streets again amid the emergence of “neo-fascism,” and no strength or weapon can stop them, Shafiqur warned the BNP government, which he alleged was sidestepping state reform measures endorsed in the February referendum.

The Jamaat leader made the remarks at a youth conference hosted by the party’s youth and sports division at the Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh in the capital.

Dr Shafiqur Rahman said the nation had repeatedly suffered under oppressive forces but had risen again each time by defeating them. He said the July Uprising, which he referred to as "36 July", was achieved through the bloodshed of 1,400 young men and women.

The protesters had sought a radical overhaul of the entire state system and justice in every sphere, he said. They wanted the state to treat citizens based on fundamental rights and fairness.

He said the National Consensus Commission was formed to reflect public and revolutionary aspirations and honour the bloodshed of July-August 2024 uprising. Thirty-three political parties took part in the process, which produced the July Charter.

Under the consensus, there were to be two elections — one to form a government and another to reform or restructure the state, he said. But after winning the election, the ruling BNP accepted one commitment and rejected the other, betraying the agreement and creating the current crisis.

"We have said we will not accept this betrayal, and the nation will not accept it either. The BNP must fulfil its promises. We will ensure that the people's demand is met and will not allow it to be abandoned," he said.

He accused the government of sidestepping the demand while repeatedly calling for constitutional amendments.

He further said the referendum was not held to amend the Constitution and that 70% of voters had not given their mandate for such changes. If the BNP considered itself a democratic party, it could not disregard the referendum results, he said.

In doing so, the BNP was effectively insulting the people, undermining the electoral system and destroying public trust in the government, he said.

"Those who shed blood to drive out fascism will not allow a new form of fascism to take hold. We will continue our struggle against it and will make no compromise with anyone in building a fascism-free Bangladesh," he said.

The Jamaat ameer said fascism was a virus and anyone displaying its symptoms could be described as fascist. He alleged that the current government was showing many such symptoms.

He said Jamaat had taken to the streets with a seven-point demand, including call for July Charter’s full implementation, and was overwhelmed by the public support it had received. Its divisional rallies and long marches had drawn widespread public participation, he said, adding that the demands were not those of any particular party but of the people as a whole.

The demands concerned citizens' voting rights and their right to access medical treatment and healthcare, he said.

Dr Shafiqur Rahman said his party would not allow society to be destroyed, accusing the government of pursuing a conspiracy against the education sector.

He alleged that educational institutions were being occupied as if they were disputed land, with BNP-leaning vice-chancellors, principals and headteachers being appointed by force despite lacking the minimum qualifications for their positions.

"To imagine that they will shape the future of our children is to live in a fool's paradise," he said.

He also accused the government of handing over school, college and madrasa governing bodies to party activists involved in violence and extortion, while favouring teachers lacking merit and serving party interests.

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Jamaat ameer warns govt people could take to the streets to enact referendum verdict

He said his party, Jamaat-e-Islami, did not want to give the government another minute to harm the country. Warning the government, he said people only needed to recognise the true character of those involved.

No force or weapon could prevail once the people were united, as such power would become ineffective, he said, recalling the unarmed movement led by young people in 2024.

"The power of the people bestowed by Allah is the greatest force in the world. We honour and respect the organised strength of the people bestowed by Allah," he said.

Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher said the revolution would be an Islamic revolution. “I am here today to meet you and extend my greetings,” he said.

Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar said the ruling party was pushing Bangladesh’s youth towards moral decay and unethical practices, undermining the very force needed to build the nation and the country.

He said young people were being drawn into extortion, tender manipulation, dealership rackets, mugging, juvenile gangs, occupation of river ports, markets and slums, and drug abuse, distancing the younger generation from the ideas, unity and strength needed for nation-building.

He said the nation was being pushed towards a crisis as the public mandate -- expressed in the referendum held on the basis of the July Charter, which in turn was achieved through the sacrifices and bloodshed of hundreds of thousands of people -- was not being implemented.

“It appears that the government itself wants to push the people back into conflict, the very conflict, bloodshed and violence from which we sought to lead the nation towards a new Bangladesh. It is moving towards one-party authoritarian rule,” he said.

He further said Jamaat-e-Islami wanted to save young people from the destructive tide of extortion and land grabbing and help them become God-fearing individuals who shun immorality and obscenity. They should emerge as revolutionaries capable of transforming society, he said, adding that the party had formed its youth and sports department to develop such young people.

Advocate Muazzam Hossain Helal said young people in Bangladesh had made history in 2024, with the July-August movement involving not only students but also young people from various professions, including farmers, workers and small traders, as well as women.

He described the change in Bangladesh as the outcome of another historic movement and called for developing Jamaat's grassroots youth into skilled and capable individuals. He urged them to take the initiative in building the foundation for future change.

Chhatra Shibir Secretary General Sibgatullah Sibga said Bangladesh was facing a historic challenge and that the incumbent government had failed to take effective measures to address the country's multiple crises.

He said the safety of those who took to the streets during the July Uprising was under threat, while "killer Ziaul Ahsan" was displaying arrogance at the tribunal. The government had failed to take effective action against those responsible, he said.

He also accused Sheikh Hasina of conspiring against Bangladesh from Delhi and said the Awami League was an Indian organisation, not a Bangladeshi one.

Jamaat lawmaker Nurul Islam Bulbul said preparations must be made for another inevitable revolution and a new government established that would uphold and implement the aspirations of July.

He identified moral and character-related issues as the biggest problems facing young people, saying they were overwhelmed by obscenity and shamelessness.

Employment was their biggest challenge, he said, calling for government and private-sector initiatives to provide the necessary training and prepare young people for jobs.