Jamaat’s Flag Placed in the Hands of Those Devoted to Public Service: Dr Shafiqur

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has said that the party has handed its flag in all 300 constituencies to individuals for whom public service is both a profession and a passion.

He made the remarks on Friday (28 November) while joining a public rally in Dhaka’s Bhashantek area.

Dr Shafiqur Rahman said, “Jamaat’s leaders and activists have not fled the country. We have faced persecution, endured imprisonment, and even sacrificed lives — but we did not run away.”

Saying that a new Bangladesh cannot be built with old formulas, he added, “People no longer want rotten and stinking politics. Nor do they want a government biased toward any particular party. People want a people’s government.”

The Jamaat chief remarked that although a portion of fascism has been removed, many of its symptoms still remain.

He said, “People from all professions fought openly against bullets and arson. Students and youth dreamt of a better education system. Yet some are unhappy with this change.”

On the question of governing experience, Dr Shafiqur Rahman said, “Some say we lack the experience to run the country if we come to power. Yes, we lack experience — we lack experience in stealing public wealth, in extortion, in setting up torture cells in dormitories, and in corruption.”

He said that once a corruption-free society is built, divisive politics will no longer survive. “In the past 15 and a half years, there is nothing they didn’t do to destroy Jamaat. Yet none of us bowed our heads before them.”

The Jamaat Ameer said that Shibir has created a new chapter by earning students’ support in university student union elections.

He added, “Seeing they cannot return to power with public mandate, old terrorists have re-emerged in new forms. We have nominated pure and honest candidates in all 300 seats. We have handed the Jamaat flag to those whose profession and passion is to serve the people.”