Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Friday warned that anyone attempting to snatch votes would have their “hands twisted.”

“If anyone files a case over this, tell them to file it in my name,” he said, adding that the country would soon be handed over to the youth.

He made the remarks while addressing a Jamaat-e-Islami election rally as the chief guest at Jhalakathi Government High School ground in the afternoon.

Dr Shafiqur Rahman said Jamaat does not want a Bangladesh where there is no guarantee of safety for mothers and sisters. “We do not want a country where criminals can stare at women or pass indecent remarks. We want to build a Bangladesh where women can move and live safely at home, outside, at workplaces and in educational institutions,” he said.

He also said that without the participation of young people in the July movement, it would not have been possible to drive fascism out of the country by 2041. “That is why the youth must rise again in the future. This movement and struggle will continue with them. Very soon, we want to hand over the responsibility of the country to these young people,” he added.

Among others, Jamaat’s central assistant secretary general Advocate Muazzem Hossain Helal, Jamaat-nominated candidate for Jhalakathi-2 Sheikh Neyamul Karim, candidate for Jhalakathi-1 Dr Fayzul Haque, Bangladesh Labour Party Chairman Dr Mustafizur Rahman Iran, and AB Sramik Party joint coordinator Sheikh Jamal Hossain addressed the rally as special guests.

The rally was presided over by district Jamaat Ameer Advocate Hafizur Rahman, with leaders from district and upazila levels also speaking. A large number of Jamaat leaders and activists joined the rally.

Later, two artisans presented the Jamaat Ameer with Jhalakathi’s traditional shital pati. He warmly embraced them and exchanged greetings. Visibly moved, Dr Shafiqur Rahman briefly lay down on the gifted shital pati to take some rest on the rally stage.