Violence will not stop unless referendum verdict is implemented: Golam Parwar

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar has said the failure to implement the July Charter and the referendum verdict, along with reforms to the state and constitution, is allowing fascist forces to carry out terrorist activities again.

In a statement issued on Tuesday (10 November), he criticised the government’s handling of law and order amid recent crude bomb explosions and arson attacks on public transport across the country.

Parwar alleged that the ousted Awami League and its associates were threatening public safety by detonating crude bombs and setting fire to buses and other public transport in Dhaka and elsewhere. He also claimed that law enforcement and intelligence agencies had shown no effective action to prevent these incidents.

He said he had information about explosions and arson attacks at at least 50 locations across the country in recent days, including Mohakhali, Khilgaon, Pallabi, Farmgate and court premises in the capital. He also cited a blockade and crude bomb explosions at the toll plaza at the Zajira end of the Padma Bridge, demonstrations by leaders and activists of the banned Chhatra League in Tungipara, Gopalganj, and an arson attack on a police vehicle.

Referring to the death of driver Kalachan Sheikh, 34, in an arson attack on a bus in Faridpur, Parwar said such violence recalled brutal incidents of the past.

He further alleged that violence on this scale across the country would not be possible without inaction or indirect assistance from law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The BNP government could not evade responsibility for these incidents, he said.

The Jamaat leader urged the government to take swift, effective measures to ensure citizens’ safety and the country’s stability. He also demanded compensation for those affected by the violence and proper medical treatment for the injured.

Parwar said the July Charter and the referendum verdict must be implemented immediately, alongside necessary reforms to the constitution and state structure, to prevent a resurgence of fascist forces. Otherwise, he warned, Jamaat-e-Islami would be forced to announce new programmes to press for the people’s demands.