Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman addressed a national rally organized by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami at historic Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital today. Photo: BSS

DHAKA, July 19, 2025 (BSS) - Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman today laid emphasis on building a corruption-free Bangladesh together saying, “We will sow the seeds of national unity together by maintaining political etiquette”. 

“We will build a corruption-free Bangladesh together...Last year, we fought against fascism…Now  we have to fight together against corruption…We will join that struggle by uniting the youth force and Insha Allah, we will get victory…,” he said.

The Jamaat Ameer made the remarks while addressing a huge national rally organized by the party at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital, in support of its 7-point demand to hold the upcoming parliamentary elections in a free, fair, impartial and peaceful manner.

During his speech, the 67-year-old Jamaal chief lost his control over his body and fell down on the podium for the first time at around 5:20 pm. Subsequently with the help of party fellows he stood up within moments. But, within a minute, he collapsed again.
 
A senior party leader said the physicians and volunteers helped him to stand up again. Then, after receiving some first aid, the Jamaat chief finished his speech from the stage on sitting position.

Soon after the end of his speech, the Jamaat Amir was taken to Dhanmondi Ibn Sina Hospital where doctors went for his through check-up and found him with no major complication, the party sources said.

This is the first time that Jamaat-e-Islami has organized such huge public rally in the capital since the fascist Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power in the face of a mass uprising on August 5 last year.

Addressing the rally, the Jamaat Ameer said, “We are deeply indebted to all those who sacrifices their lives duirng the mass uprising. As long as Jamaat-e-Islami exists, may Allah grant us the strength to repay their debt.”

He said, “So many people sacrificed their lives…They gave their lives for freeing the nation…We say to those who want to take Bangladesh back under that rotten system, first bring back the lives of those who gave their lives in the July Uprising. But you cannot. Therefore, a new Bangladesh will be built under a new system, Insha Allah.”

The Jamaat Ameer said, “We would not have seen this Bangladesh if the martyred Abu Sayeed had not stood up and taken bullets to liberate the nation. Many more people's lives might have been lost to the fascists.”

He said, “By maintaining political etiquette, we will all create the seedbed of national unity together, Insha Allah.”

He said, “We will build a corruption-free Bangladesh with everyone. As long as Allah gives us life, we will fight for the people, Insh Allah. The fight will not stop, our fight will continue until the people of Bangladesh are liberated.”

He said if Jamaat gets the opportunity to serve the people of the country in future by the will of almighty Allah and the love of the people, it will not be the owner, it will be the servant, Insha Allah. 

He said, “Today I am announcing that those who will be elected as members of parliament from Jamaat in the future by the will of Allah and the love of the people, then no MP or minister will accept any government plot. No MP and no minister will take a tax-free car,” he said.

He continued. “If any MP or minister has received allocation for a specific work, they will be obliged to present its report to the people of Bangladesh as soon as the work is completed. We will not take bribes, we will not commit corruption. We will not allow bribes, we will not tolerate corruption. This is the Bangladesh we want to see. I want to tell the youth in clear terms that we are with you.”

Dr Shafiqur Rahman said, “I have come here not as the Ameer of Jamaat, but as a representative of 18 crore people. I have come as a friend of children, a brother of youth, a fellow fighter of the elderly. I want to say that our fight is not for the liberation of any specific class of Bangladesh. I have come to speak today on behalf of a street cleaner, a tea garden worker, a rickshaw puller who sheds blood. I have not come to speak on behalf of any elite class.”

Addressing the younger generation, he said, "You will not be just spectators, you will participate in the work of building this country. This is not just a class war; it is a war of all classes of people - farmers, laborers, students and youths.”

Jamaat-e-Islami Executive Council member ATM Azharul Islam, Nayebe Ameer former MP Prof. Mujibur Rahman, Hefazat-e-Islam Nayebe Ameer Maulana Muhiuddin Rabbani, Jamaat-e-Islami Nayebe Ameer Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, Secretary General Prof. Mia Golam Parwar, Islami Andolan Bangladesh Secretary General Maulana Yunus Ahmed, National Citizen Party (NCP) Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain, Khelafat Majlis Secretary General Dr Ahmed Abdul Quader, President of Gana Adhikar Parishad Nurul Haque Noor, Nayeb-e-Amir of Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis Maulana Yusuf Ashraf, Presidium member of the Islamic Andolan Prof. Ashraf Ali Akon, President of the Islamic Chhatra Shibir Zahidul Islam, Chief Organizer of the Northern Region of the National Citizen Party (NCP) Sarjis Alam, Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan and Dr. Hamidur Rahman Azad, Secretary General of Nezami Islam Party Maulana Musa Bin Izhar, Executive Council Member of Jamaat-e-Islami and Ameer of Dhaka Metropolitan South Md. Nurul Islam Bulbul, Central Executive Council Member and Ameer of Dhaka Metropolitan North Mohammad Selim Uddin, Barrister Nazibur Rahman Momen, son of former Jamaat Ameer Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary General of National Hindu Mahajot Govinda Chandra Pramanik, President of Bangladesh Lawyers Council Advocate Jasim Uddin Sarkar, President of Bangladesh Development Party Anwarul Islam, Nayebe Ameer of Khilafat Andolan Maulana Mujibur Rahman Hamidi, Ameer of another section Maulana Abu Zafar Qasemi, Spokesperson of JAGPA Rashed Pradhan, Secretary General of Chhatra Shibir Nurul Islam Saddam, General Secretary of Sramik Kalyan Federation Atiqur Rahman, eminent personality Dr. Faizul Haque, UK expatriate Maulana Moudud Hasan, July Uprising student coordinator Sadiq Kayem, Ramzan Ali, elder brother of martyr Abu Sayeed in the July Movement, Rabiul Awal Tamim, brother of martyr Imam Hasan Tamim, Abul Hasan, father of martyr Shahriar, Zakir Hossain, father of martyr Faisal Ahmed Shanta in Chattogram, Barkatullah, father of martyr Abrar Fahad, SM Mostafizur Rahman, a student of North South University Redwan Nabil, among others, spoke at the event.

Earlier, at 2:00 pm, the rally began with the recitation of the Holy Quran. Seven demands were made in the rally to hold the upcoming national parliamentary elections in a free, fair, impartial and peaceful manner. 

The demands are - ensuring a level playing field, trial of all mass killings including July, necessary fundamental reforms, implementation of the July Charter and Declaration, rehabilitation of the families of those martyred and injured in the July mass uprising, national elections using the PR system and provision of voting for more than one crore expatriates.