Published: 12:24 AM, 06 September 2026
People want relief from current govt, says Jamaat chief
Leader of the Opposition and Jamaat Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman delivers his speech as the chief guest at a street rally in Feni's Mohipal yesterday, organized as part of the 11-party alliance's Dhaka-Chittagong long march. -Agency
Asserting that people across Bangladesh want relief from the current government, Jamaat-E-Islami Ameer and Leader of the Opposition Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said the government had failed to keep the promises it made to the people before the election.
Dr. Shafiqur Rahman made the remarks as the chief guest at a roadside rally of the 11-party alliance's long march in the Paduar Bazar area of Cumilla on Saturday afternoon. At the beginning of his speech, he demanded the swift implementation of the Cumilla division. He also called for a feasibility study on reopening Cumilla Airport.
Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said that when Sylhet was made a division in 1994, there were simultaneous demands for Cumilla to become a division. But Cumilla did not get divisional status at the time. Asking what fault the people of Cumilla had committed, he said there should be no more "dilly-dallying" over the Cumilla division and that it must be implemented quickly. He said the greater Noakhali area was also demanding divisional status and deserved it. However, Cumilla's divisional status should be implemented first, he added. Talking about the law-and-order situation in Cumilla, the Jamaat chief said, "The law-and-order situation in Cumilla is very good! There is no extortion! Is there?" He then questioned the role of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Referring to the 11-party alliance's long march, he said the program would travel to every divisional city. A mass rally would then be held in Dhaka. He urged the people of Cumilla to join that program as well to press home their demands.
National Parliament Deputy Leader of the Opposition and National Citizens Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam alleged at the long march that many children, family members and relatives of government ministers were becoming involved in corruption and various syndicates. This was increasing people's suffering, he said.
Saying that people were fed up with the government, Nahid Islam said the government had completely failed to run the country over the past six months. He also said the government had failed to fulfill any of the promises it made before the election.
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Colonel (Retd) Oli Ahmed said the government must listen to what the people were saying. People across the country were saying that they no longer wanted to see the current government in power, he said. Criticizing the situation in the country, he said allegations of corruption, extortion, muscle power, land grabbing, harassment of party leaders and activists, and drug-related activities could be found wherever one went. He also said the country had been turned into "hell.
The LDP president also commented on the government's future. He said people were saying that the government would fall by December. Whether the government did anything or not, he claimed, it would "fall under its own weight."
