NN Online:
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman on Friday said that free, fair, and credible elections are not possible without major structural reforms in the country.
Speaking to journalists at Saidpur Airport in Nilphamari ahead of a rally in Rangpur, he stated, “Mob culture has existed in the country for a long time, but Jamaat has never been part of such violence. Since 1972, we’ve opposed mob politics.”
Referring to the recent violence in Patgram, Lalmonirhat, he added, “Under the current conditions, a neutral election is impossible. Reforms are essential to create a proper environment for credible polls.”
Dr. Shafiqur urged political parties to take responsibility for the actions of their activists and help maintain peace. “Political leaders must control their followers. Only then can the state maintain law and order,” he said.
Friday’s rally, held at Rangpur Zilla School ground, was Jamaat’s largest public gathering in Rangpur in nearly 17 years. Thousands of supporters from Rangpur and nearby districts joined the rally, with the crowd overflowing into adjacent roads. Slogans were chanted demanding the implementation of Islamic laws and leadership by honest individuals.
During the event, Jamaat’s Rangpur-Dinajpur regional director and Assistant Secretary General Maulana Abdul Halim formally announced party candidates for all 33 parliamentary constituencies across Rangpur division, including Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Panchagarh, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Nilphamari, and Lalmonirhat.
Supporters began arriving in Rangpur from early morning by rickshaw, auto-rickshaw, and trucks. Security was intensified throughout the city.
Organised by Jamaat’s Rangpur metropolitan and district units, the rally focused on four key demands, including justice for those killed in the July-August uprisings and electoral reforms ahead of the next national polls.
Jamaat leaders said the rally was part of a broader effort to build momentum for a movement aimed at creating a “new Bangladesh.”
