Govt will pay dearly if it ignores people’s verdict: Shafiqur at Munshiganj long march

Leaders of the 11-party alliance, along with leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir, gathered at various points along the Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga Expressway in Munshiganj from the morning to welcome the alliance’s Dhaka-Khulna-Kushtia long march for seven demands. They stood by the roadside to greet the convoy.

A temporary stage was set up at the Mawa end of the Padma Bridge, in the Padma Bridge North Police Station area of Munshiganj’s Louhajang upazila. However, with a large number of vehicles in the convoy, Leader of the Opposition and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman addressed the gathering from his vehicle rather than taking the stage.

He began his speech around 9:30am on Saturday (October 31).

“Our demands are very clear. We have taken to the streets with the people’s demands. Our main demand is that the verdict delivered by 70 percent of people in the referendum must be implemented. We believe that once this is implemented, the other six demands will automatically be fulfilled. If the government respects the referendum, it will earn respect. But if it ignores the people’s verdict, it will not only face humiliation but will also have to pay a heavy price,” he said.

He added: “Putting our trust in Almighty Allah, I say that, Inshallah, this demand of the people will be met. Inshallah, we will return home only after securing our demand.”

After his speech, he crossed the Padma Bridge with the convoy and headed towards Khulna and Kushtia.

Before the long march, speakers at a roadside rally at the Mawa end included Munshiganj district Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer AZM Ruhul Quddus, district Nayeb-e-Ameer Nurul Haque Patwary, district Secretary AKM Fakhruddin Razi, Assistant Secretary Abdul Malek, Khelafat Majlis district leader Siddiqur Rahman and other leaders of the 11-party alliance.