Jamaat postpones rally to 10 June

The Jamaat-e-Islami has postponed their programme that was scheduled to take place at Baitul Mukarram Mosque area in the capital on Monday to 10 June.

Ashraful Alam Imon, secretary (publicity and media) of Dhaka South unit of Jamaat, told TBS that the police did not allow their programme on Monday on the grounds that it was a work day and the offices were open.

He also said the rally on 10 June will have a bigger crowd than that they were expecting on Monday, but the rally venue will remain the same – the area from Baitul Mukarram to Kakrail intersection. The government will be given a stern message at the rally.

An application in this regard, signed by Jamaat-e-Islami's Dhaka South unit Secretary Mubarak Hossain, was sent to Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner by email on Monday, he said.

"The current government does not believe in free speech," said the party in a press release, adding, "The country is in a deep crisis due to vote robbery, encroachment, forced disappearances, murders, misrule, and an unbridled rise in the prices of essential things including electricity and gas. However, the Awami League is taking advantage of people by imposing anti-people decisions."

Centering the Jamaat rally on Monday, a large number of law enforcers were deployed in areas including Baitul Mukarram, Paltal, Moghbazar, Malibagh, Press Club, and Motijheel.

Ex-Chhatra Shibir president and Dhaka South unit Jammat's Assistant Secretary Delawar Hossain said, "So far, Jamaat-e-Islami has won 61 seats in various parliamentary elections. It is proven that Jamaat is a legal political party in the country. The government has violated Article-37 of the Constitution by not allowing Jamaat to hold our rally."

Jamaat insiders said the party has been planning to announce on 10 June major programmes at district and upazila levels to revive its activities before organising bigger programmes in the capital. The party has decided to hold political programmes openly from now on.

In a press conference on 31 May, acting Amir of Jamaat Professor Mujibur Rahman said during the 15-year rule of the Awami League, 246 leaders and activists of Jamaat-Shibir were killed. As many as 25 Jamaat-SHibir leaders and activists were forced to disappear allegedly by the law enforcement agencies.

Besides, 91,246 activists of the party have been arrested. So far, the government has filed 14,309 cases against Jamaat men and 9,584 cases against Shibir activists. Moreover, 75,035 activists were injured in attacks by the law enforces, and 5,204 activists were crippled due to shooting and physical torture. Over 5,000 houses belonging to Jamaat men have been damaged, he added.

Yasin Arafat, a member of Jamaat-e-Islami's Majlis-e-Shura, said, "We were last allowed to hold a rally 10 years ago in March 2013. The government has not allowed us to open 3,000 of our offices across the country, including our central office in Moghbazar, for about 12 years.

"Now that we are cornered, we have no scope of moving back. From now on, we are ready to respond to any oppression of the government."