Jamaat MPs won’t take govt land or duty-free cars if elected: Shafiqur Rahman

Shafiqur Rahman, Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami, said, “If in future even one of our members is elected an MP, none of them will accept a government land plot or use a duty-free car. Do not vote for us to impose taxes on the public. Vote for us to stand guard for the people. Otherwise do not vote for us.”

Shafiqur Rahman made these remarks Thursday night while speaking as the chief guest at a gathering of dignitaries organised by the Sylhet city unit of Jamaat-e-Islami at a convention hall in Sylhet city.

The programme was chaired by Muhammad Fakhrul Islam, member of Jamaat’s central executive committee and Ameer of Sylhet city unit while, Nurul Islam, Nayeb-e-Ameer of the Sylhet city unit was the host. The welcome address was given by Abdul Hai Harun, convener of the Sylhet-1 election management committee.

Party’s central assistant secretary-general Ehsanul Mahbub Zubayer, central executive committee member Fazlur Rahman, central executive committee member and Jamaat’s nominated candidate for Sylhet-6 constituency Muhammad Selim Uddin, and central Majlis-e-Shura member and Jamaat’s nominated candidate for Sylhet-1 Habibur Rahman spoke as special guests.

At the gathering, Shafiqur Rahman said, “If for any reason at Allah’s will, we find ourselves in the opposition, we assure them (party in government) that we will certainly work with them in every humane and good endeavour.”

“If they come to power and then revert to old ways and do wrong, I will first speak to them personally and urge them to abandon those practices. If they rectify themselves, I will congratulate them. If they do not, then, just as in the past we have risked our lives for struggle and movement, in future we will not give any leeway either,” he added.

The Ameer promised that, if elected in future, they would eradicate corruption and establish justice. He said, “We want to change this Bangladesh. That is why the people are saying, we want change this time. But what kind of change will that be? A live fish is being fried in a pan; in a bid to save itself it jumps out and falls into the stove. Is that the change we want? No, we want a safe Bangladesh.”

“On this point Jamaat-e-Islami is pledged to the nation. We have made vows to Allah. We will continue our movement. No one can stop us until social justice is established. If social justice is achieved, the knot of corruption will be loosened. Corrupt people will not dare to be corrupt, plunderers will not plunder, and banks will not be looted. That is the kind of society we want to build,” he continued.

Expressing a desire to reorganise the battered economy, Jamaat’s Ameer said, “Rats are everywhere, ready to cut the ropes that hold society together. These rats must be driven out. Otherwise they will destroy all the crops in our fields, as they have done in the past. Is this the responsibility of Jamaat-e-Islami alone? It is the responsibility of all of us.”