Govt trying to establish one-party rule: Shafiqur

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Leader of the Opposition Shafiqur Rahman has alleged that the BNP-led government is trying to establish one-party rule in the country.

Speaking as the chief guest at a rally held at the Narayanganj Central Eidgah today (19 June), he said the Awami League had previously shown contempt towards opposition parties in parliament and claimed that the BNP is now continuing the same practice.

The rally was organised by Narayanganj Metropolitan Jamaat-e-Islami and chaired by its Ameer, Abdul Jabbar.

Shafiqur said the 13th national election had taken place because of the 2024 July Uprising. He said it would amount to a betrayal if the government and opposition parties neglected those who were injured or killed.

Referring to the recent referendum, he said the current ruling party had not supported the "Yes" vote and had quietly campaigned for "No". He alleged that after public pressure, party leaders urged supporters to vote "Yes", but later denied the result.

Criticising the government, the Jamaat ameer said that it had failed to stop extortion and that bribery and corruption had increased. He also accused the government of inconsistency between its words and actions.

Mentioning the murder of Taqi in Narayanganj, he said residents had not received justice in the case. He also referred to the seven-murder case and other killings.

At the rally, Shafiqur formally nominated former Islami Chhatra Shibir president Abdul Jabbar as Jamaat's candidate for the Narayanganj City Corporation election.

Later in the day, speaking as the chief guest at the annual conference of rukun members in Munshiganj this afternoon, Shafiqur criticised the government's handling of corruption and extortion.

He said the government had failed to stop extortion and that bribery and corruption had increased. He also accused the government of inconsistency between its words and actions.

Referring to the national budget, Shafiqur questioned why the prices of essential commodities had not fallen despite tax reductions on 50 to 60 items. He alleged that market syndicates with political connections were preventing consumers from benefiting from the tax cuts.

He said both businesses and consumers should be able to survive, but claimed that ordinary traders were increasingly being pushed out by a handful of syndicates.

The Jamaat chief also called for an end to extortion nationwide, saying it would bring significant relief to people's lives. He further said parliament exists for the people and should not continue if it fails to serve public interests or uphold justice.