Jamaat ameer vows ‘responsible’ opposition role
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman, who also serves as Leader of the Opposition, said on Wednesday that his party would avoid disruptive tactics in parliament and instead channel its energy toward addressing public grievances and national concerns.
Speaking to journalists at the Al-Falah auditorium adjacent to Jamaat’s central office in Moghbazar, Rahman said his party had resolved not to resort to the kind of chaotic scenes long associated with opposition politics in Bangladesh.
He rejected the idea of throwing files or turning violent inside the chamber, arguing that such conduct accomplishes nothing. Instead, he said, the party’s strategy would be to take its case directly to the public.
Rahman accused the government of repeatedly blocking opposition notices on pressing issues – including fertiliser shortages, electricity supply, law and order, child rape and murder cases, and rising commodity prices – from reaching the floor for discussion.
He noted that Jamaat had even proposed assembling a technical team of experts to assist the government in tackling national problems, but said the offer had gone unheeded.
Framing his party’s approach as one of service rather than dominance, Rahman said both the ruling party and the opposition had publicly professed a desire to serve rather than rule, and questioned why a “ruler’s mentality” should persist under those circumstances.
Rahman also raised doubts about the genuine independence of Bangladesh’s media, suggesting that claims of press freedom ring hollow in the face of what he called “invisible pressure” on newsrooms.
He encouraged reporters to expose irregularities and unfair treatment within their own news organisations, saying that if outlets would not report on themselves, others should be given the opportunity to do so.
He described the media as a check on the state’s other institutions, arguing that a strong press keeps other pillars of government accountable, and that the country’s overall health depends on the media retaining that strength.
The Jamaat chief further alleged that his public remarks are frequently distorted when excerpted into social media graphics, describing the practice as selective editing that strips quotes of context and misleads the public.
He suggested he would be more forthcoming in interviews if given assurance that his comments would not be misrepresented in this way, but said he currently held reservations on the matter.
Rahman also expressed dissatisfaction with the press coverage given to Jamaat’s recent long march, contending that the second leg of the programme drew greater public participation than the first but was not covered proportionately.
He described the event as serving the national interest rather than narrow party interests, and appealed to journalists to give the party what he considered its fair share of coverage, adding that the campaign was aimed at protecting public rights rather than seeking credit.
Closing his remarks, Rahman referred to journalists as guardians of the press’s watchdog role and invited media associations to submit their concerns and proposals in an organised format, saying this would help the party act on them going forward.
