Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami's Acting Ameer Professor Mujibur Rahman has issued the following statement on 18th November 2023, urging to observe nationwide 48-hour strike protesting the declaration of schedule of a blueprint election by the subservient election commission.
Jamaat-e-Islami has declared 48 hour long strike across the country on 19th and 20th November demanding immediate stepdown of the government, restoration of caretaker government system, release of Jamaat Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman and other political detainees, withdrawal of false cases and for bringing the prices of the essentials within people's capacity and simultaneously protesting the recently declared election schedule. We have become compelled to declare such programs due to stubborn attitude of the government and their conspiracies to hold anothet voter-less farcical election.
In order to materialise their ill-motivated conspiracies, the government has intentionally deteriorated country's law and order situation in last couple of days. The authorities have arrested 24 Jamaat leaders and activists in last 24 hours and in last one month, 2283 Jamaat men have been arrested in the same way. The government has lodged false cases against them. Tortures and repression of the government has exceeded the level of tolerance. Some unidentified miscreants have picked up a madrasa teacher of Natore and made him physically crippled. He is undergoing treatment in a hospital now. A leader of Sylhet district Chhatra Dal was not granted bail and as such he could not see his deceased father's face even for the last time. Thus the government is pushing the nation towards uncertainty and anarchy. No nation can function in such a way. I am severely condemning all tortures and repression of the government and demanding immediate release of all political detainees.
The subservient election commission has declared election schedule defying the people's movement for caretaker government system and the countrymen have utterly rejected the schedule. The countrymen have no confidence upon this government. If election takes place under a caretaker government, the collapse of the government is inevitable. The election commission has declared election schedule, keeping all opposition parties out of the electoral process, in a bid to secure the victory of the ruling party.
But the people will not allow to implement the conspiracy this time. The election commission must withdraw the existing poll schedule and they should go for a new schedule following a good consensus between the political parties. Otherwise, they have to take the liability of the untoward consequences of this one-sided election.
I am urging the fellow countrymen and the leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami to make nationwide 48-hour long strike from 19th November 6am to 21st November 6 am peaceful and successful.
