United News of Bangladesh

The Dhaka-Chattogram long march to be organised by the opposition Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance on September 5 will be made successful without giving any scope for provocation, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar said Tuesday. “This is a peaceful and systematic political programme. The country’s people will make this long march program a success, InshaAllah, without giving any scope for provocation,” he said at a press briefing at the Jamaat central office in the city. The 11-party alliance is going to organise the long march with a six-point demand including implementation of the public verdict reflected in the referendum, trial of the July mass killings, resolution of the energy and fertiliser crises, control of prices of essential commodities, improvement of the law-and-order situation, and an end to politicisation at all levels of the administration, he said. Jamaat Ameer and opposition leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman along with other top leaders of the 11-party alliance will lead the long march, said Golam Parwar. “We are moving ahead with extensive preparations. We are witnessing a strong response, enthusiasm and excitement among the people (over the programme),” said the Jamaat Secretary General. He said the long march will begin from Shapla Chattar in Dhaka at 7am on September 5 and end at the historic Laldighi Maidan in Chattogram. Roadside rallies would be held at various important points along the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway during the journey, he added. Parwar said they expect that more than 1,000 vehicles will participate in the long march, while leaders and activists of the alliance and common people from different districts, upazilas and metropolitan areas along the Dhaka-Chattogram route will join the programme. He said the 11-party alliance held a meeting with the police administration on Monday evening to ensure that the long march remained peaceful and disciplined. “We informed the police administration about the relevant route, roadside rallies and different spots of the programme,” he said. The Jamaat general secretary said precautionary measures are being taken to minimise disruption to the movement of common people. “We have planned to keep the long-march convoy on one part of the highway so that regular vehicles can continue to use the other part,” he said. “However, such a large programme may cause temporary inconvenience at some places. So, we apologise to the country’s people in advance,” he added. Parwar said they are seeking cooperation of the administration, political parties, the media and people from all walks of life to make the programme successful. Jamaat Assistant Secretary General AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, Dhaka city South unit Ameer Nurul Islam Bulbul and Dhaka city North unit Ameer Md Selim Uddin, among others, were present at the briefing.

Editors of various newspapers have advised the opposition to engage in constructive criticism of the government and avoid violence on the streets in order to maintain stability in the country, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar said on Monday. He made the remarks while briefing journalists after a view-exchange meeting between Jamaat Ameer and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Dr Shafiqur Rahman and a group of newspaper editors at the opposition leader’s official residence on Minto Road in the capital in the afternoon. “Editors advised us to oppose the government and criticise it constructively, and, if necessary, take to the streets with the demands of the people. But they advised us not to destabilise the country by following intolerant, unstable or violent paths like those adopted by opposition parties in the past,” Porwar said. He said Shafiqur Rahman outlined the roles being played by Jamaat and the 11-party alliance in Parliament in the current situation. The Jamaat chief said their party has been playing a constructive role as the main opposition both inside and outside Parliament. He also presented before the editors the party’s policy decision to break away from the bad practices traditionally associated with opposition parties and, instead, cooperate with the government in its good initiatives while resisting all unjust and anti-people activities in order to maintain overall stability in the country. “The editors praised this policy of Jamaat,” Porwar said, adding that Jamaat’s opposition will be “constitutional and constructive”. Those present at the meeting included The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam, Daily Jaijaidin Editor Shafik Rehman, Daily Manab Zamin Chief Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, Daily Ittefaq Editor Tasmima Hossain, Bonik Barta Editor Dewan Hanif Mahmud, Daily Naya Diganta Editor Salahuddin Muhammad Babar, Daily Inqilab Editor AMM Bahauddin, Protidiner Bangladesh Editor Maruf Kamal Khan, Daily Amar Desh Editor Mahmudur Rahman, Daily Khoborer Kagoj Editor Mostofa Kamal, Daily Waadaa Editor Shafiqul Alam, Agamir Somoy Editor Mustafa Mamun, Daily Bhorer Dak Editor KM Belayet Hussain, Ajker Patrika Editor Kamrul Hasan, Daily Manabkantha Editor Shahidul Islam, Daily Kalbela Editor Santosh Sharma, Banijjo Protidin Editor Giash Uddin, Daily Karatoa Editor Mozammel Haque, Daily Janata Editor Obaidur Rahman Shaheen, Khola Kagoj Editor Ahsan Habib, The New Nation Editor Mohammad Mokarram Hossain, Green Watch Editor Mostafa Kamal Majumder, Prothom Alo Executive Editor Sajjad Sharif, The Business Standard Joint Editor Sajjadur Rahman, Daily Desh Rupantor Executive Editor Shahidul Islam Chowdhury, Daily Edin Executive Editor Khandaker Mozammel Haque, The Evening News Editor ABM Salim Ahmed, Daily Sangram News Editor Shamsul Arefin and Weekly Sonar Bangla News Editor Ferdous Ahmad Bhuiya.

The 11-party alliance that represents the opposition to the BNP at present, has alleged that the country’s law and order situation has deteriorated significantly during the first six months of the BNP-led government compared with the period under the interim government. Public suffering has increased due to what the alliance described as government mismanagement, the leaders said at a meeting held at the official residence of the Opposition Leader at 29, Minto Road in Dhaka on Sunday afternoon. Opposition Leader and Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Dr Shafiqur Rahman presided over the meeting. After the meeting, Opposition Chief Whip and National Citizen Party Convener Nahid Islam and Jamaat Assistant Secretary General and 11-party alliance coordinator Dr AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad briefed journalists. The leaders expressed concern over the overall situation in the country and said the 11 parties would unite to make the planned Long March a success. They said people who took part in the July Uprising would join the Long March. The leaders alleged that extortion had become widespread and that farmers were facing a shortage of fertiliser. They accused the government of denying the crisis and providing what they called misleading information to the people. “The government has been mismanaging the country for 180 days. It has no plan to run the country,” they said. They also said the government had ignored opposition proposals to resolve the ongoing energy crisis. Regarding foreign policy, the leaders said the government had failed to hold India accountable over Sheikh Hasina’s press briefing in Delhi on August 5. “Good relations with Bangladesh are not possible by allowing the fascist Awami League to carry out political activities in Delhi. We want relations with every country based on mutual respect and equality,” they said. They alleged that universities were being turned into “sanctuaries for terrorists” and that leaders of opposition student organisations and student parliaments were being suppressed, narrowing the democratic space. They also accused the government of unprecedentedly politicising the administration by appointing party activists to various state positions. The leaders alleged that state constitutional institutions, including the Election Commission, had been politicised and that the government was not respecting the July Charter or the referendum verdict. They warned that the 11 parties would give a “befitting reply” with the people if the government failed to implement the aspirations of the July Uprising and keep its promises. Calling on people to join the Long March, they said, “Our Long March is a democratic movement. If there are any political or administrative obstacles, we will resist them and move forward.” The leaders said a public meeting would be held in the capital on September 5 to mark the start of the Dhaka-Chittagong Long March. They said road rallies would be held at various points along the route and that similar Long March programmes would be organised across the country. They said the main demand of their movement was implementation of the referendum verdict. “Although six months have passed since the formation of the government, the referendum verdict has not been implemented. No initiative has been taken and the issue is being avoided,” they said. They also alleged that public opinion had been ignored by not forming the Constitutional Reform Council. The leaders urged the government not to hesitate over constitutional reform or implementation of the referendum verdict. “The government is moving towards constitutional amendments without reforming the Constitution. This will not bring good results for the government. This is our clear message,” they said. They also expressed concern over the rising prices of essential commodities, saying people’s suffering had reached an unbearable level. They said factories were closing due to shortages of electricity, oil and gas, and called for immediate steps to address these problems.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Sunday strongly protested what it alleged was a vested quarter inside the government is active to create a syndicate with a limited number of recruiting agencies to send Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia. “A vested group in the government has recently engaged in activities against the country's interests by bringing several recruiting agencies under a syndicate to export labour outside the country,” said Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar in a statement. He said this move has caused widespread frustration among the common members of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA). “I strongly condemn and protest against all decisions and initiatives of the government that are against the interests of foreign remittance fighters and Bangladeshi citizens,” he said. According to various sources, two days ago, the governments of the two countries (Malaysia and Bangladesh) have in fact created a syndicate-based labor market system by selecting only 25 recruiting agencies and giving them the opportunity to send workers, said the Jamaat leader. Citing that Malaysia’s labour market is extremely important for Bangladeshis, he said it is the moral responsibility of the government to protect Bangladeshi migrants’ interests, ensuring a safe working environment, stopping harassment and ensuring financial security there. He warned that a similar system in the past, involving a limited number of agencies, had led to excessive charges being collected from common workers and caused suffering to thousands of migrant workers. “This time too, there is a fear that a worker may have to spend Tk 600,000 to Tk 700,000 to go to Malaysia, which will be a huge burden for a common worker and his family,” he said. The Jamaat leader urged the government to take strong and effective measures to protect the interests of migrant workers, ensure their safety and allow them to enter overseas labour markets at lower costs. Citing that Bangladesh has more than 2,000 licensed recruiting agencies, Golam Parwar asked the government to ensure open, transparent and equal opportunities for BAIRA members and recruiting agencies with good track records to break the alleged syndicate of 25 agencies.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Dr AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad on Friday criticised what he described as the government's "narrow-minded" assessment of the opposition's participation in the presidential election. In a statement, he said the government is viewing the opposition's participation through a politically “narrow-minded” perspective instead of assessing it from a liberal and democratic lens. Referring to a recent remark by a cabinet member that the oath taken by opposition members to the Constitution Reform Council could no longer remain valid because they participated in the presidential election while retaining Article 70 of the Constitution, Hamidur questioned the logic behind the argument. "If this argument is acceptable, then how can the oath taken as Members of Parliament remain valid? Because no parliamentary election was held through a constitutional process in 2026," he said. He said their position is "very clear", adding that the opposition's participation in the presidential election was a symbolic protest against the limitations of the government's desired reform process and an effort to introduce a new form of democratic practice. "We already knew what the outcome of the election would be. Even so, we participated to make our position clear to the people and strengthen the demand for democracy," the Jamaat leader said. He said the people have once again realised why constitutional reform is essential to make democracy in Bangladesh effective, accountable and sustainable. Hamidur urged the government not to interpret the opposition's participation in a narrow manner and instead understand its underlying democratic message. "The government must respect the people's expectations by implementing the verdict of the referendum and taking effective initiatives for necessary constitutional reforms," he said. "No government can run the state in the long term by ignoring the aspirations of the people," the Jamaat leader added.

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has congratulated Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on his election as the country’s 23rd President. Fakhrul secured 255 votes, while his rival Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmad, the candidate of the 11-party alliance led by Jamaat, received 88 votes in the presidential election held on Thursday. In a congratulatory message posted on his verified Facebook page after the results were published, Shafiqur said, “The 23rd presidential election of Bangladesh was held today, August 20, 2026. I sincerely congratulate Mr Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on being elected as the 23rd President.” He expressed hope that, as the guardian of the state in the coming days, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will use his highest competence and wisdom to establish justice, uphold democracy, and protect the country’s independence and sovereignty. The opposition leader also wished the newly elected President good health and long life.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Tuesday claimed that the BNP government had failed completely in 12 key areas, including maintenance of law and order, the energy and banking sectors, controlling commodity prices, maintaining administrative neutrality and implementation of the referendum verdict, during the first six months of its tenure. "In the first six months of the government's tenure, we are presenting to the nation the utter failures of the government on all the issues that I have mentioned, including the public verdict of the referendum, the July Charter, law and order, energy security, commodity prices, administrative security, neutrality," said Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar. He was addressing a press conference arranged at the Al-Falah Auditorium in the city’s Moghbazar to raise the first six-month failures and achievements of the current government, formed through the February 2026 general election. The Jamaat leader, however, praised the government for the foreign exchange reserve situation and the 'positive tendency' displayed by accepting a proposal placed by the Opposition Leader to form a special parliamentary committee to solve the energy crisis a few months ago. About the referendum, Porwar described the government’s negative role over the public verdict reflected in the referendum as the first failure of the government. “The nation is now being pushed towards a conflict, and the dream of a new Bangladesh, achieved through a sea of blood in the July Mass Uprising, is about to end,” he said. Regarding the energy crisis, the Jamaat Secretary General said the government failed to solve the gas, energy and electricity crisis.   He said the country’s daily gas demand was around 3,800 million cubic feet, against a combined domestic production and import supply of only 2,700-2,800 million cubic feet, leaving a daily shortfall of about 1,000 million cubic feet. The crisis was affecting industries, power plants, CNG stations and other consumers, he said. Porwar said gas production from 20 producing gas fields was around 1,630 million cubic feet per day in July, but the government had failed to make visible progress in increasing production to address the long-term crisis. Raising another major failure, Porwar alleged that state-owned and government institutions and local government bodies were being used to rehabilitate leaders and activists of the ruling party. He claimed that leaders and activists of the Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal and BNP had been appointed to at least 11 government posts, autonomous corporations and positions in the Election Commission. He also alleged that ruling party-affiliated people had been appointed to Zila Parishads, development authorities and city corporations. “Merit, interviews and qualifications are not necessary for government appointments. A BNP party position has become a major qualification,” he said. Regarding law and order, the Jamaat leader said the situation had deteriorated despite the government’s pledge to give the issue priority. He cited figures that he attributed to Transparency International and other organisations, saying 605 murders, 294 robberies, 194 abductions and 3,416 incidents of violence against women and children were recorded during the first 100 days. He alleged that the number of murders, robberies, abductions, thefts and incidents of violence against women and children had continued to rise. A number of 915 murders, 461 robberies, 286 abductions, 3277 thefts, 5,448 incidents of violence against women and children were recorded till May 2026, he added. On foreign policy, Porwar said the government had failed to turn its declared “Bangladesh First” policy into a coordinated operational framework. He also said there had been no visible progress on unresolved issues, including the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. On commodity prices, he said the rising cost of essentials was squeezing the purchasing power of general people. “Inflation has reached 9.16 percent, food inflation 8.69 percent and non-food inflation 9.61 percent,” he said. The Jamaat leader said the cost of food, housing, transportation and other essentials was putting increasing pressure on the incomes of lower- and middle-income families. He also criticised the government over the banking sector, saying non-performing loans had reached Tk 5,88,704 crore at the end of March, accounting for 32.26 percent of total loans. He said defaulted loans had increased by Tk 31,427 crore in just three months, while there had been no visible progress in resolving liquidity problems in weak banks, restoring depositors’ confidence or easing pressure from high interest rates. Porwar also alleged that government intervention in Islami Bank had contributed to instability in the banking sector. He also criticised the government for allowing the enforced disappearance and human rights related ordinances to lapse, its poor performances in education, agriculture particularly for the fertiliser crisis, judiciary and health sectors. Jamaat leaders AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, Abul Hasnat Mohammad Abdul Halim, Matiur Rahman Akanda and Shafiqul Islam Masud, among others, were present.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Monday has called upon its leaders, activists and people across the country to make Dhaka-Chattogram long march on September 5 a success as part of its campaign to implement the referendum verdict and build a discrimination-free Bangladesh. The call was made at a meeting of the party’s Long March Implementation Committee held at Jamaat’s central office in capital's Moghbazar. Govt to lose legitimacy if referendum verdict ignored, warns Ameer-e-Jamaat  According to the previously announced programme of the 11-party alliance on August 6, four long marches will be held across the country. As per the programme, the Dhaka-Chattogram long march will be held on Saturday, September 5, followed by Dhaka-Rangpur on Saturday, September 19, Dhaka-Khulna on Saturday, October 10, and Dhaka-Sylhet on Saturday, October 24. The Chattogram, Rangpur and Khulna long marches will be held by road, while the Sylhet long march will be held by rail. A grand rally will be held in Dhaka on November 14 following the completion of the long march programmes.

Opposition Leader and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Friday urged the Acting President to convene a special session of parliament to discuss the ongoing severe power and energy crisis and the deteriorating socioeconomic and law-and-order situation in the country. He made the request in a letter sent to the acting president, according to a press release issued by Mujibul Alam, Senior Publicity Assistant of the party's Central Publicity Department.  Jamaat demands immediate suspension of moves to increase private sector participation in fuel sector Copies of the letter were also sent to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and the Parliament Secretariat. In the letter, Shafiqur Rahman said a severe power crisis is currently prevailing across the country. He said rampant load-shedding has made people's lives unbearable while seriously affecting industrial production, business and commerce. The direct impact of the power and energy crisis has also contributed to rising prices of essential commodities and a severe deterioration in the overall law-and-order situation, pushing people into extreme uncertainty, he said. “As representatives of the people, we cannot remain silent during this crisis,” the opposition leader said, stressing that meaningful discussion in parliament and finding an immediate solution are essential to address the situation. He urged the acting president to immediately convene a special session of parliament to find swift solutions to the power and energy crisis and other related problems across the country. The letter was sent to the acting president on Friday, according to a press release issued by the central publicity department of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar on Thursday blamed the government’s “mismanagement, inefficiency, lack of foresight, widespread corruption and politicisation of various institutions” for the worsening power and gas crisis in the country. In a statement, he expressed deep concern over the severe shortage of electricity and gas and the resulting public suffering, and strongly condemned what he described as the government’s failure to manage the power sector. Porwar said the country has recently been experiencing a severe power and gas crisis, with a significant gap between demand and supply causing widespread public suffering. He said the country was hit by extensive load shedding since August 9. According to the statement, the electricity shortfall stood at 3,671 megawatts on August 9, 3,757MW on August 10, 3,465MW on August 11 and 3,382MW on August 12. “This shows that the country has faced an average power shortage of around 3,500MW in recent days,” the Jamaat leader said, adding that people and the industrial sector were bearing the brunt of the crisis. He also said on Wednesday, gas supply stood at 2,030 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) against a demand for 3,800 mmcfd. “The power and gas crisis has reached an extreme level due to the government’s mismanagement, inefficiency, lack of foresight, widespread corruption and politicisation of various institutions,” Porwar said. He said public anger is growing as the energy crisis deepened, referring to a letter sent by the Bangladesh Palli Bidyut Association to the Police Headquarters on Wednesday, seeking enhanced security at 80 rural electrification co-operatives amid the deteriorating situation. The Jamaat secretary general said the move reflects the government’s failure in managing the power sector. Citing media reports, he said Nilphamari in the northern region was receiving 45-55MW against a demand for 80MW, while Kushtia was receiving 85-95MW against a demand for 155MW. “Such a situation exists across the country, prompting power-sector officials to seek enhanced security,” he said. Porwar said the crisis has worsened because the government has failed to take long-term decisions on power management. Production at industries is being disrupted, while people are struggling to carry out routine household activities, including cooking, because of shortages of electricity and gas, he said. Students are also facing disruptions to their studies, he added. “Overall, people’s lives have become miserable,” the Jamaat leader said, accusing the government of failing to take effective measures to address the crisis and describing it as an indication of its irresponsibility towards the people. He expressed concern that the government could further deepen the crisis by providing renewed benefits to old oligarchs in the name of privatising the energy sector. To ease public suffering, Porwar demanded that the government increase gas supplies, stop gas theft in industries, reduce leakage and system losses, formulate necessary policies and facilitate the import of equipment for energy conversion, and take measures to prevent oil smuggling. He also called for arrangements to import crude oil through government or private initiatives and urged the authorities to take effective measures to improve the skills of those involved in electricity generation and distribution. To address the existing crisis and ensure energy security, the Jamaat leader said it is essential to step up domestic gas exploration by bringing in capable foreign partners for onshore reservoir management, including the use of new technologies, as well as drilling new exploration and development wells. “If the government fails to take initiatives to meet the basic and everyday needs of the people, it will have to bear responsibility for any situation that may arise,” he said.