United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Saturday said his party will extend full support to all reasonable initiatives taken by the government by playing a constructive and responsible role in Parliament. The Jamaat Ameer made the remarks while addressing an iftar mahfil at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman also spoke at the iftar programme, which was hosted by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami for different political leaders and noted personalities. Tarique Rahman and Shafiqur Rahman were seen sitting at the same table during iftar alongside other BNP and Jamaat leaders. Shafiqur Rahman said Jamaat-e-Islami does not wish to function as a traditional opposition party in Parliament but is keen to play a meaningful and constructive role there. “We do not want to act as a conventional opposition in Parliament. We want this House to become meaningful and a centre of hope for the people. Just as the ruling party should play a responsible role, we also want to play a responsible and constructive role from the opposition benches,” he said. Referring to past parliamentary practices, he alleged that the nation witnessed a ‘dummy opposition’ in Parliament, formed through elections held between candidates and ‘dummy candidates’. “As elections were staged between candidates and dummy candidates in the past, both the government and the opposition were also symbolic. Such an opposition cannot bring positive outcomes for any country,” he mentioned. He said Jamaat would first draw the government’s attention to any irrational decision or step and offer recommendations. “If the government accepts our suggestions, we will be grateful, and the nation will benefit. But if our suggestions are not accepted, we will perform the role expected of an opposition party.” Expressing hope for the role of Parliament, the Jamaat chief said the government should turn it into a vehicle for moving the country forward. “A vehicle cannot run on one wheel alone. If the ruling party is the front wheel, the opposition will be the rear wheel. Without either of them, the vehicle cannot move,” he said. Shafiqur Rahman also expressed optimism that ruling party and opposition lawmakers would work collectively to remove what he described as ‘black laws’ still existing in the Constitution and enact necessary laws to establish Bangladesh as a developed and dignified nation. He hoped that constructive political practices could free the nation from what he termed the long-standing culture of disappointing politics. “If we can do it, then I hope this nation will be freed from the clutches of the disappointing politics of the past that have held it back until now.” PM Tarique Rahman urges parties to vow to change people’s fate Recalling former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s stance following the death sentence of Jamaat leader Maulana Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, he said Jamaat would remember her role in protesting the killings of demonstrators at that time. “We remain grateful to the then opposition leader,” the Jamaat chief said, noting that Khaleda Zia returned from Singapore, cutting short her overseas visit, to protest the injustice and killings. She termed the killings as genocide and declared a countrywide strike at that time, Shafiqur Rahman said, adding, “We’ll remember her role in this regard forever.”