Staff Reporter, Moulvibazar //

Raising a slogan of the brave soldiers of the July Movement, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said, ‘A storm is raging inside my chest, shoot me if you feel it.’ Their anger lasted for 15 and a half years. During this time, they took away all rights by sitting on the shoulders of the nation. They turned the country into a crematorium or a graveyard. They sometimes said that there is unshakable peace in the country. We used to say that you have established peace like a grave. From where no sound of laughter or crying can be heard. There are no people in the graveyard. No sound of laughter or crying can be heard.

Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said these things as the chief guest at the workers’ conference organized by Moulvibazar District Jamaat on Saturday (December 21) afternoon.

Stating that they had mourned over the dead bodies on October 28, the Jamaat Amir said, “They had announced that they would establish a state of murder and disappearances after coming to power. We may not have been able to convey our heartfelt cries to the people of Bangladesh that day. Then, by making a deal behind their backs, they won the elections on December 29, 2008 by engaging in election engineering with a heinous government. On January 10, 2009, the Awami League came to power and began implementing its murderous agenda.

Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said, “Then their rampage began. They first targeted Jamaat-e-Islami, who are proven patriots. Jamaat had impressed the countrymen with its honesty. It had a proven record of efficiency. All those leaders were cold-bloodedly murdered on false charges, with rigged courts, with fake witnesses, and with a verdict from Brussels. They were hanged. Some were pushed to their deaths one by one, and died in jail.”

He further said, “We told all our friends and political organizations at that time that this was not an attack on Jamaat. This was an attack on the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh. If this huge wall of independence and sovereignty is broken, everyone else will be swept away, no one will be able to survive. Stand by us. We confront fascism collectively. We could not explain these words to anyone. We could not fight that war together. The history after that is clear before you. They did not spare anyone. They caught everyone one by one. They caught BNP, caught Hefazat, caught Alem Ulama, caught other parties. They did not spare anyone. Even these journalist friends who came today to cover the news; they also caught them. They killed them, made them disappear with us. They sent them to the mirror house. Some were taken across the border to India. In this way, they turned the entire country into hell.”

The Jamaat Ameer mentioned that today the youth are saying that they stole our votes. Three elections! Today, those who are 30/32 years old could not even cast a single vote. All their votes were genocided, massacred. A genocide of votes. They did not have the moral courage to stay in the country. That is why they fled the country.

He said, they have divided the nation for 53 years through fascism in various ways. They have divided it into pro-independence forces, anti-independence forces, majority forces, minority forces, in many ways. Because when a nation can be divided into pieces, it is possible to make them slaves. They assumed that we are the owners of the country, we are all tenants. But yes, the owners are in the country, the tenants have fled.

Addressing India at this time, the Jamaat Ameer said, “You live in peace. Let us live in peace too. We do not ask what you will cook in your own house. Do not try to peek into our own house. Look at your own face in the mirror. We do not have to teach you a lesson in communal harmony.”

He said, “For 15 and a half years, we have waged many movements and struggles. But we could not end that movement. We could not drive away tyranny, we could not send it away. I am proud that our children have done that work. I am giving our children love. I am expressing my respect and gratitude. I salute them on behalf of the nation. InshaAllah, we will hand over the future Bangladesh to them.”

At this time, he expressed his anger and said, “There is no good university, medical college, engineering and agricultural university in Moulvibazar district. Why? What crime has Moulvibazar committed?”

Referring to former Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman, he said that the talented son of this district was a talented economist. He viewed the entire country equally. He demanded that the next ECNEC should allocate an educational institution in Moulvibazar and take a decision on some other development.

The Jamaat Amir said that Moulvibazar has the largest number of tea gardens in the country. Due to the lack of proper state monitoring, the tea industry is on the verge of collapse. The owners do not get the right price for the tea. The workers also do not get their wages.

At the Moulvibazar Government High School ground, under the chairmanship of District Jamaat Amir Engineer Md. Shahed Ali and under the direction of Secretary Md. Yamir Ali, special guests spoke – Central Assistant Secretary General Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Jobayer, Dhaka Metropolitan North Amir Muhammad Selim Uddin, Sylhet Metropolitan Jamaat Amir Md. Fakhrul Islam and Sylhet District Amir Maulana Habibur Rahman.

Among others who spoke were Habiganj District Amir Kazi Maulana Mukhlisur Rahman, former Amir of Moulvibazar district and members of the Central Majlishe Shura Dewan Sirajul Islam Matlib and Md. Abdul Mannan, Moulvibazar District BNP Convener Faizul Kabir Mayun, Khelafat Majlish leader Professor Maulana Abdus Sabur, Moulvibazar District Nayeb-e Amir Maulana Abdur Rahman, Chhatrashibir Sylhet Metropolitan President Sharif Mahmud, Paltan Thana Jamaat Amir Shahin Ahmed Khan, District Working Committee Member Maulana Aminul Islam, Chhatrashibir Moulvibazar City Branch President Tarek Aziz, District President Hafez Alam Hossain, former Amir of Barolekha Upazila Md. Qamar Uddin, Moulvibazar Municipal Amir Hafez Maulana Tajul Islam, Sadar Upazila Amir Md. Fakhrul Islam, Barolekha Upazila Amir Md. Emdadul Islam, Rajnagar Upazila Amir Abur Rayyan Shahin, Kulaura Upazila Amir Professor Abdul Muntazim, Juri Upazila Amir Abdul Hai Helal, Sreemangal Upazila Amir Maulana Ismail Hossain and Kamalganj Upazila Amir Md. Masuk Mia.

After the rally, Jamaat Amir Dr. Shafiqur Rahman exchanged views with people from different walks of life, including prominent figures, intellectuals and professionals of the district.

Any of your opinions will be welcomed.