Justice for the mass killings during the uprising must be ensured, even if it delays the elections, said Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman yesterday.
“Justice must be served to those who killed people in the past and during the student-led movement in this country. If elections have to be delayed for that, so be it,” he said at a meeting of Sunamganj district Jamaat at Government Jubilee High School ground in Sunamganj.
The Jamaat chief also slammed the political environment prevailing in the country.
“Real change is not possible through those who engage themselves in politics of deceit,” he said, alleging that leaders of some political parties put party before the nation.
“Even they put individuals ahead of the party,” he added.
Taking a dig at the ousted Awami League, he said those who threatened to banish them have now fled the country.
“They used to send us abroad without passports, visas, or tickets; but now they are fleeing without those,” he said.
He also took a swipe at former Supreme Court judge Justice Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik, saying, “Have you seen a Supreme Court judge sleeping on a banana leaf? That was his fate due to his misuse of power while in office.”
On education, he pledged that if Jamaat comes to power, it will prioritise education and establish a modern, job-oriented system.
“Our brightest minds leave the country for higher education and never return, whereas, in the past, the Mughals, British, and Portuguese came here seeking fortune. Now, the situation has reversed,” he said.
Highlighting the integrity of his party’s activists, he said his party activists are not involved in any extortion or litigation trade.
“Criticise us as much as possible. It will only make us work harder. If we fail to deliver, you have every right to abandon us,” he said.
Shafiq said if Jamaat comes to power, Sunamganj will witness rapid development.
“If not, we will fight alongside the people for their rights and development,” he said.
Sunamganj district Jamaat Ameer Maulana Tofayel Ahmad, Jamaat’s Assistant Secretary General Advocate Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair were present at the meeting among others.