Jamaat presses for referendum, Teesta project

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Leader of the Opposition Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Saturday said his party would continue its campaign for the implementation of the referendum verdict, asserting that the government would eventually have to honour the outcome.

Addressing a rally at Rangpur Zilla School ground, organised by the 11-party alliance in support of its four-point demand, Dr Shafiqur said his party would not retreat from what it described as a commitment made to the people.

“Many attempts are being made to divert us from our demand for implementing the referendum verdict. But we cannot betray the nation.

We promised the people that we would continue our struggle, and we will force the government to implement the referendum, God willing,” he said.

Reaffirming the pledge in Rangpur, which he described as “the land stained with the blood of Abu Sayeed,” the Jamaat chief said the party would not move “even by an inch” from its demand.

The rally was organised to press for the implementation of the Teesta Mega Project, enforcement of the referendum verdict, measures to stop border killings and alleged push-ins, and initiatives to ease public hardship.

Dr Shafiqur said the referendum formed part of broader efforts to reform the country and build what he described as a “new Bangladesh” free from discrimination and “rotten politics,” adding that the younger generation had played a central role in that movement.

Referring to the Prime Minister, he alleged that before the election she had publicly said she would cast two votes — one for her party and another in favour of the referendum.

“She fulfilled the first promise but not the second,” he claimed.

Criticising the government’s handling of the Teesta issue, the Jamaat leader said the ruling party had campaigned on the slogan “Save the Teesta” before the election, but the current national budget had not allocated funds for the proposed Teesta Mega Project.

“We do not want empty rhetoric. We want practical action,” he said, adding that if the current administration failed to implement the project, an elected 11-party alliance government would do so with public support.

Turning to border issues, Dr Shafiqur alleged that India was creating tensions along the frontier while the government had remained silent.

He praised members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and local residents for what he described as their role in resisting border provocations, and criticised the government’s response, saying it had failed to speak out on the matter.

Urging the government to respond to public expectations, he warned against taking positions that, in his view, ran counter to the people’s aspirations, arguing that history had demonstrated the consequences of disregarding public sentiment.

Concluding his speech, Dr Shafiqur reiterated his call for the immediate implementation of the Teesta Mega Project, saying there should be no further delay in addressing the issue.