The administration will act entirely according to our orders: Jamaat leader Shahjahan
Expressing concern that bags of money and arms may enter the country from the neighbouring state ahead of the upcoming national election, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s central working committee member Shahjahan Chowdhury has said, “The election will not be decided by the people alone… In every constituency, we must bring the entire administration under our influence. They will stand when we say so, sit when we say so, arrest when we say so, and file cases at our command.”
The Jamaat leader made these remarks yesterday, Saturday evening while addressing Jamaat-e-Islami’s ‘Election Responsibility Conference’ at the GEC Convention Hall in Chattogram city. Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman attended the event as the chief guest, but he was not on stage during Shahjahan Chowdhury’s speech.
"The police must walk behind you. The OC should ask you in the morning what programmes you have scheduled and provide you with protocol," said Jamaat-e-Islami’s central working committee member Shahjahan Chowdhury.
Former MP Shahjahan Chowdhury also said, “In every constituency, you must promote the scales (Daripalla, Jamaat’s electoral symbol) to primary school teachers. You must promote the scales also among all higher secondary level teachers and in Nurul Amin (city Jamaat unit secretary)’s Fatikchhari area. The police must walk behind you. The OC should ask you in the morning what programmes you have scheduled and provide you with protocol.”
While speaking as the chief guest, Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman said, “We want to build a country free from extortion. We have never engaged in extortion before, and we will never do so in the future. We want a corruption-free Bangladesh. Many political parties cannot say this strongly because if they try they themselves will find it laughable, and the public will laugh too.”
Shafiqur Rahman added, “We have endured oppression for a long time, for the sake of Allah. After the change in the political landscape, we did not allow oppression against anyone. We urged the public to remain patient, and they created an example of the highest level of patience. The administration was petrified, so we helped them and encouraged them.”
The event was presided over by Jamaat-e-Islami Chattogram city Ameer Muhammad Nazrul Islam. Among others, central assistant secretary general Muhammad Shahjahan, central working committee members Ahsanullah, Muhammad Zafar Sadiq, Mostafizur Rahman, Amiruzzaman, and Nurul Amin Chowdhury, Chattogram south district Ameer Anwarul Alam Chowdhury; and north district Ameer Alauddin Sikder attended as special guests.
In addition, city Jamaat secretary Muhammad Nurul Amin, south district secretary Badrul Haq, north district secretary Abdul Jabbar, Cox’s Bazar district secretary Zahidur Islam, Chattogram city assistant secretary Mohammad Ullah, organisational secretary Shamsuzzaman Helali, and nominated candidates from 23 constituencies across Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, and the three hill tract districts were present at the programme.