Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami will hold a rally on August 4 instead of 1. They will hold the rally to press home the demands for holding a free, fair, inclusive and participatory election, the formation of election-time caretaker government, the release of its leaders-activists, national leaders, Islamic speakers, scholars including Jamaat Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, control of price hike of essentials.
Jamaat pronounced they had held the rally on August 1 but police did not permit them.
Jamaat acting Ameer professor Mujibur Rahman announced the rally at a press conference on July 24. Later, they sought permission but police refused Jamaat’s plea.
‘Holding rally is a fundamental political right. It is recognized in the constitution. We want to hold the rally peacefully. Other political parties including Awami League are holding rallies, processions, meetings, sit-in programs but the government is violating Jamaat’s rights,’ Nurul Islam Bulbul added.
‘Jamaat held rallies in divisional headquarters on July 28 and district headquarters on July 30 ignoring police barricade. But police harassed and arrested Jamaat leaders and activists at various places of the country. Police arrested more than 500 Jamaat leaders and activists across the country including Dhaka,’ he further added.
‘We want to hold a peaceful rally. Jamaat does not believe conflict and violence. We held a peaceful rally at the premises of Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh on June 10 after ten years. Government has committed crimes not to allow us to hold a peaceful rally. We strongly condemn and protest the autocratic behavior of the government,’ added South City Ameer.
‘The government does not believe in freedom of expression. Freedom of speech is a fundamental right of every citizen. It is also constitutional right. The government will be dethroned and people’s government will be established by mass movement In-Sha-Allah,’ he again added.
‘We are obedient to laws. We are postponing today’s rally to avoid violence. We will hold a peaceful rally in Dhaka city on August 4 In-Sha-Allah,’ Mr. Bulbul added.
We also urge the authorities of police administration to avoid anti-democracy and anti-constitutional activities.