Mohammad Al Amin: Islamist political party Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, which has come to limelight following its June 10 rally in Dhaka, is planning to publicly hit the country’s political field soon coming out of hiding.
It has a plan to remain on the streets with fresh agitation programmes to press home their 10-point demand, including resignation of the current government and holding of the next general election under an election-time neutral government, alongside taking preparations for the polls.
However, Jamaat will take the final decision about participating in the election based on the emerging situation, the party sources said.
“We’re now paying our full attention to the ongoing movement,” Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Maulana Abdul Halim told the Daily Sun.
Party insiders said they will go for a one-point movement from the current month to force the government to resign and hold the next parliamentary elections under a caretaker government.
Although other opposition parties, including BNP, have been carrying out an anti-government movement simultaneously, the Islamist party is continuing its agitation separately.
Insiders said Jamaat has planned to return to the country’s political field with fresh programmes and reopen its offices across the country, including the central one, from this month.
Party’s offices remained closed for long and its leaders and activists also went into hiding to escape action of law enforcers.
In the wake of tougher action taken against its leaders and activists ahead of the 2014 general election, the Islamist party and its student wing Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir had been carrying out activities from behind the scene for its survival.
“Now we have enough preparations for the movement. As per our organisational capacity, we’ll wage the movement to oust this Awami League government,” Abdul Halim said.
Jamaat has been carrying out a movement to press home their 10-point demand since December last.
Although the party started simultaneous movement along with BNP, it later decided to go alone with the movement.
Jamaat will come with fresh agitation programmes across the country soon to realise their demand for holding the next general election under the caretaker government.
Although it seems that the Islamist party is in conflict with BNP, the party finally may join the simultaneous movement under the leadership of the major opposition, insiders said.
Jamaat has announced that it will bring protest procession and hold rally across the country, including in Dhaka, tomorrow to protest against the burning of Quran in Sweden.
Besides, it has sought permission for holding a rally at Sylhet Registry field on July 15 to press home their 10-point demand.
With the permission of police, it held a rally in the capital on June 10 last after long 10 years.
The party insiders said Jamaat leaders and activists are reorganising secretly to wage the final phase of their movement to oust the incumbent government.
Its central leaders have already held a series of meetings with grassroots leaders at different districts to prepare the party men for the movement as well as election.
During the meetings, the central leaders are giving special directives to the party activists.
Speaking at a meeting with the party activists of Kurigram district on July 2, acting Jamaat Ameer Mujibur Rahman said, “The Jamaat activists along with people have to wage an irresistible movement to establish the non-party caretaker government. The government will be compelled to resign in the face of the mass movement.”
The Jamaat sources said the party is also taking preparations to contest the next national election.
“We’ve already selected our potential candidates to contest over 100 constituencies. However, we haven’t taken any decision yet to field candidates in all 300 seats,” said a senior leader.
The party sources from various districts said the potential candidates have already started activities in their respective areas as part of their election preparation.
Visiting Pabna-5 constituency, it has been known that Pabna district Jamaat Secretary Principal Hafeez Maulana Iqbal Hossain is taking part in different programmes and visiting different areas as part of his election preparation.
The Jamaat insiders said if the party can realise its demand of holding the election under the caretaker government, it may share parliamentary seats with BNP to ensure victory of its candidates.
Jamaat has decided that its candidates will contest the next general election independently as the party has got registration with the Election Commission cancelled.
However, the final decision about joining the polls will be taken based on the emerging situation, the party sources said.
