Long March to Rangpur: 11-party alliance to hold rallies in 5 districts during

The 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami will hold Long March towards Rangpur on 19 September with a seven-point set of demands. Besides an inaugural rally at Manik Mia Avenue in the capital and a concluding rally at Rangpur Zilla School, the opposition alliance will hold five roadside rallies in five districts along the route.

Hamidur Rahman Azad, coordinator of the alliance and assistant secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami, disclosed the programme while speaking to journalists after an emergency preparatory meeting of the alliance’s liaison committee at the official residence of the Leader of the Opposition on Minto Road in the capital on Sunday afternoon.

The 11-party alliance will begin its long march towards Rangpur from Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka at 7:00 am on 19 September. The inaugural rally will continue until 8:00 am.

The alliance will then hold roadside rallies at Bhograpara in Gazipur, Nagar Jalfai in Tangail, Sirajganj Chourasta, Charmatha in Bogura and Palashbari in Gaibandha. The march will end with a concluding rally at Rangpur Zilla School.

Hamidur Rahman Azad said the Opposition alliance’s six-point demands had now become seven points. The demand to stop corruption, land grabbing and extortion has been added to the previous six demands.

At the press conference, Hamidur Rahman Azad said the 11-party alliance was speaking in parliament on issues concerning public interest and people’s rights. Opposition lawmakers were also raising issues of law and order, national security and public safety, he said.

The Opposition had played a role in taking Bangladesh towards economic prosperity and a new political system, he added.

The Jamaat leader said the Opposition had also been vocal in parliament about implementing the verdict of the referendum held on constitutional reforms.

According to him, the Opposition had called for proper initiatives to resolve the country’s oil and gas crisis, but the government had failed to provide any solution.

Most recently, the Leader of the Opposition had proposed forming a task force or committee comprising representatives of the government and Opposition to resolve the crisis through discussions, he said.

After the committee was formed, the Opposition submitted 10 proposals, but the government did not consider them, Azad added.

The Jamaat leader also said the government had pledged during the election campaign that it would not increase fuel prices within two years of coming to power. However, the government had failed to keep that commitment, he said.

Factories are shutting down because of the gas shortage, Azad said. If orders for the textile industry are cancelled and shift to a neighbouring country, Bangladesh’s economy will suffer a major setback, he added. Yet the government was demonstrating incompetence in addressing these crises, he said.

While the government blames the previous administration for the problems, Azad questioned what steps the current government had taken during its six months in office to resolve them. He said the government had failed to take appropriate measures.

Besides the gas crisis, the country was now facing a fertiliser shortage, he said. If the crisis continues, the country could face a food shortage, forcing the entire population to suffer, he added.

Describing the law and order situation as alarming, Azad said one shocking incident after another was taking place. People were being abducted and killed, he said. The whereabouts of Miraj Sheikh of Khulna were still unknown, he added. Five leaders and activists of the Opposition had been killed, he claimed.

The Opposition had raised the issue of improving law and order in parliament and was also playing a role on the streets, Azad said.

Hamidur Rahman Azad further said political consensus was needed to resolve the economic crisis. Everyone should come forward together to solve the problems. But the government was not considering any of the Opposition’s proposals for resolving the crises.

NCP Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis joint secretary general Tofazzal Hossain Miazi, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (JAGPA) spokesperson Rashed Pradhan and leaders of the parties in the 11-party alliance were present at the press briefing.