People have been struggling with the soaring prices of essential commodities while severe gas and electricity supply problems persist, Advocate Matiur Rahman Akanda, a senior member of the Central Executive Council and Publicity and Media Secretary of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has said.
The government is busy with the “character assassination” of the opposition instead of easing public suffering and curbing crime he said at the Kishoreganj District Jamaat-e-Islami Rukon (member) conference at a local community center in Park on Thursday.
Akanda said, “So this incident proves that they came to power based on an understanding, through an agreement, and by colluding with a third force they came to power by manipulating votes.
Today, they are speaking on behalf of those forces. Since the government wants to rehabilitate the Awami League (AL), it is trying to shift the blame onto Jamaat-e-Islami.”
He stated that Bangladesh’s GDP growth has declined significantly. He pointed out that while the government set a growth target of 6.5 percent, the World Bank projects it will not exceed 3.1 percent.
“There is no employment, production, or investment. Factories are shutting down due to the lack of gas and electricity, which has also forced fertilizer factories to close. The situation in the country is dire.”
He emphasised that Jamaat-e-Islami’s announced long march and seven-point demand do not include a movement to overthrow the government.
“Then why are you so afraid? Only when the Ameer of Jamaat stated that if demands are not met, the seven points could turn into a one-point movement, did the government panic.
They fail to realize that times have changed. Earlier, leaders could suppress programs and flee, but today’s young generation has already overthrown a fascist government like the Awami League.”