United News of Bangladesh

Opposition Leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Tuesday warned that they would take to the streets with the demand for implementation of people’s verdict given in the referendum if it is ignored in Parliament. “It will be resolved either in Parliament or on the streets. We will not leave this public demand, nor do we have the right to do so,” he said while exchanging views with journalists at the LD Hall of the Parliament complex. Dr. Shafiqur said they are committed to fulfilling the aspirations expressed by people and cannot betray that commitment. “We are confident this demand, Inshallah, will be materialised either today or tomorrow,” he added. The opposition leader rejected a government proposal seeking opposition nominations for a special parliamentary committee on constitutional amendment. He said his party would only consider participating in a committee formed for constitutional reform, not for routine amendments to the constitution. Referring to the referendum results, he noted that 70 percent of voters supported constitutional reform. “We stand with people and the verdict of the people. Therefore, we have said that if a committee is formed for reform and not for amendment, we will consider joining it.” Dr Shafiqur said constitutional amendment is a routine parliamentary process that does not require a special committee. When a constitutional amendment comes as a bill in Parliament, the opposition will participate in discussions over the bill, he said. “If they come up with a proposal for reform, then we will consider it,” he added. In reply to another question, he said the people sent them to Parliament to raise voice for them. If any logical issue is not considered or ruled out and we can’t get scope, then we will walk out (from the house) but not for a long term. Asked about the role of the opposition in Parliament, Dr Shafiqur said their lawmakers were elected to represent public interests and raise the people's concerns. “If any logical issue is ignored and we are denied the opportunity to speak, we may walk out of Parliament, but not for a long term,” he said. He said they should not be considered as an aggressive opposition. “Do not consider us an excessively aggressive opposition. Rather, cooperate with us to perform as a reasonable and logical opposition over national interests,” he said pointing at the journalists. The opposition leader recalled that Bangladesh had a relatively effective opposition in Parliament following the 2008 election but claimed that no effective opposition existed in the legislatures formed through the elections of 2014, 2018, and 2024. “We have seen opposition parties sharing ministries with the government. We have also seen opposition leaders whose selection depended on the ruling party leadership. We have witnessed such opposition in Parliament,” he said. “Our position is completely different. We will not be a submissive opposition. At the same time, we will not engage in any behavior inside Parliament that hampers public interest. The people sent us here to speak on their behalf,” said the opposition leader. He emphasised that the opposition would focus exclusively on issues affecting the country and its people. “Our concern is the country and its people. We will not spend even a single minute in Parliament on matters beyond national interest,” he said adding that every minute of Parliament's session costs approximately Tk 176,000. Commenting on the supplementary budget passed by Parliament on Monday, Dr. Shafiqur criticised the timing of its presentation. According to the law, the supplementary budget should be placed in March, but it is often presented in June at the very end of the fiscal year, he said. Dr Shafiqur noted that parliamentary approval was sought for approximately Tk 56,000 crore through the supplementary budget 2026 and alleged that a significant portion of the allocation could be vulnerable to misuse. “There is no accountability for a big portion of it,” he said. The opposition leader also said the country's fiscal year should be aligned with the calendar year to ensure better planning and implementation in public finances. Deputy Opposition Leader Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammed Taher, Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam, Jamaat lawmakers ATM Azharul Islam, Shahjahan Chowdhury, Rafiqul Islam Khan, Barrister Nazibur Rahman Momen, Prof Mujibur Rahman and GM Nazrul Islam, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar and Assistant secretary general AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad were present.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Md Mujibur Rahman on Tuesday raised an objection in Parliament to the practice of MPs bowing their heads while entering the House chamber, saying it contradicts Islamic principles. Raising the issue on a point of order at the start of the day’s sitting, he said an earlier provision in the Rules of Procedure required lawmakers to bow as a mark of respect while entering the chamber, but the matter was later reviewed and amended. “In the 3rd Parliament, the Rules of Procedure stated that members should enter the chamber by bowing their heads in respect. Later, the matter was discussed and reviewed. I was also involved in the process at that time. Eventually, an amendment was made removing the provision because bowing in this manner is contradictory to Islam and may amount to sin Shirk,” Mujibur Rahman said. He said MPs commonly bow their heads or offer greetings while entering the chamber. Addressing Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, the lawmaker said, “I sometimes notice that you greet members nicely with salam, and we also exchange salam. But afterwards the old habit of bowing is still there. It happens with you and with the Deputy Speaker as well.” He added that since the Rules of Procedure was amended to remove what he described as a practice linked to Shirk, all members should follow it. “That will be virtuous for us, will save us from sin, and will benefit us on the Day of Judgement,” he said. In response, the Speaker said he will review the Rules of Procedure and examine whether such a provision was indeed abolished in previous parliaments. However, he noted that the matter could also be seen as a personal practice. “Some may offer salam, some may bow their heads. Similar practices exist in parliaments around the world,” he said, adding that he will look into the issue further.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has said that his party will not compromise on the country’s sovereignty and national interests while addressing a meeting with leaders of the 11-party alliance and journalists at the Sylhet Circuit House on Sunday night. “On matters of independence and sovereignty, we will not make any compromise. Our top leaders embraced martyrdom with a smile on their faces but never compromised with the fallen fascist regime,” he said. Jamaat ameer warns against move to “control” Islami Bank Shafiqur Rahman said Jamaat remains committed to the country and its people, adding that the party would not step back from implementing the ‘July Charter’ and the verdict of the referendum. “We will not step back from implementing the people’s mandate. If a solution is found in Parliament, the movement on the streets will continue. We will force the government to implement the people’s verdict,” he said. He said that a good election does not necessarily ensure good governance. He alleged that the current government, which came to power through what he described as a “bloody July uprising,” has ignored the July Charter and annulled the referendum verdict where around 70 percent of people voted in favour. On border tensions,  he said provocation was coming from across the border. “We have become independent twice, but have we achieved real independence? We will not compromise on the sovereignty of the nation,” he said. “We do not want to turn Parliament into Mamtaz’s Parliament,” he also said, adding that debates in Parliament should remain respectful and issue-based. He also criticised recent parliamentary remarks against religious values, saying such behaviour undermines national commitments.

The 11-party alliance led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami will hold a protest rally and demonstration procession in the capital on Monday, demanding an immediate end to illegal push-ins, border killings, and torture along the Bangladesh-India border. The rally will be held at Shahbagh in Dhaka at 5 pm, Jamaat-e-Islami said in a statement on Sunday. Top leaders of the 11-party alliance are expected to participate in the program, it added. The alliance has urged people from all walks of life in the capital to participate in the protest rally and demonstration procession and make the programme a success.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar on Saturday described the proposed national budget as “extravagant, dependent on foreign loans and oriented towards plunder.” He also raised the possibility of the monies allocated to different streams being misused as graft still prevails in society.  He made the remarks while speaking to journalists after attending an educational workshop for members of upazila working committees at the Bhola district Jamaat office as the chief guest. Jamaat holds protest rally in capital, terms proposed budget ‘anti-people, loot-friendly’ Parwar said the government had not taken into consideration the proposals put forward by Jamaat regarding increasing revenue collection, reforming the tax structure, controlling corruption, boosting investment and reducing dependence on foreign loans by strengthening domestic economic capacity. The Jamaat leader said no budget could bring welfare to the people unless corruption in the administration, tax administration, the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Public Service Commission and the judiciary was reduced. He alleged that if corruption remains unchecked, there is a risk that budgetary allocations could be used to serve partisan interests rather than public welfare. He called for revising the budget to make it more people-friendly before its final approval. Criticising increases in gas, fuel and electricity prices, he said implementing a budget that places additional burdens on ordinary people would be difficult. He urged the government to revise the budget in line with the aspirations of the people. Parwar further warned that any decision taken contrary to public expectations would further distance the government from the people.

A protest rally and demonstration were held in Khagrachhari on Friday against alleged killings of Bangladeshi citizens along the border, push-in incidents and various other border-related violations. The demonstration was organised under the banner of an “11-party alliance” and began in the afternoon from Shapla Chattar in Khagrachhari town. The procession marched through several roads of the town, passed Mohajanpara and later returned to Shapla Chattar, where a brief protest rally was held. During the rally, protesters displayed placards demanding justice for border killings of Bangladeshi citizens, an end to push-in incidents, and effective measures to protect the country’s independence and sovereignty. Speakers at the event included Khagrachhari district Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Professor Syed Abdul Momen, lawyer Advocate Ayakub Ali Chowdhury, and NCP leader Chaithoai Marma. Professor Syed Abdul Momen alleged that India was unlawfully pushing its citizens into Bangladesh to pressure the government, while also claiming that innocent Bangladeshi nationals were being shot dead at the border and that the Bangladesh Border Guard was being threatened. He also called on the government to play a stronger role in protecting the country’s independence and sovereignty. Speakers at the rally further demanded effective diplomatic and administrative steps to safeguard national security and dignity.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Thursday staged a protest rally in the capital immediately after the presentation of the proposed national budget for the 2026-27 fiscal, describing it as “anti-people but loot-friendly,” and expressing their dissatisfaction with the additional tax burdens it imposes on citizens. Speaking at a rally before the procession, Jamaat Assistant Secretary General and former MP Dr AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad alleged that the government had presented the budget to sustain party loyalists at the expense of ordinary people. “The government has imposed a burden of taxes on the people while presenting a budget aimed at maintaining party workers,” he said. Referring to the proposed Tk 9.38 lakh crore budget, the largest in Bangladesh’s history, Azad claimed it failed to reflect the aspirations of the July Uprising and instead followed the conventional pattern of previous budgets. He described the budget as heavily dependent on loans and taxation, arguing that it would place an additional burden on citizens while increasing the country's debt liabilities. Azad alleged that the size of the budget had been expanded to facilitate corruption and misuse of development funds by ruling party activists. “Those who formulated the budget belong to the affluent class, which is why it is a pro-rich budget. They do not understand the suffering of poor people and therefore failed to present a people-oriented budget,” he said. He also criticised the allocation structure, claiming that nearly 70 percent of the budget would be spent on operational expenditures, leaving limited benefits for the general public. Azad said Jamaat had proposed a budget that was Tk 100,000 crore smaller than the government’s proposal, arguing that such a budget would reduce opportunities for corruption and ensure resources were used directly for public welfare. He urged the government to revise its proposed budget by incorporating Jamaat’s recommendations. The Jamaat leader further said the government had set a revenue collection target of Tk 6.95 lakh crore, including Tk 6.04 lakh crore from the National Board of Revenue (NBR), which he said would result in higher indirect taxes, customs duties and advance taxes that would ultimately affect ordinary consumers. Although the tax-free income threshold has been proposed to increase from Tk 350,000 to Tk 375,000, Azad argued that rising indirect taxes would increase living costs for middle- and lower-income groups. He also expressed concern over the proposed budget deficit of Tk 2.43 lakh crore, saying the government's plan to borrow Tk 1.12 lakh crore from the banking sector could reduce private-sector access to credit and hamper investment and job creation. Addressing the rally, Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Advocate Moazzem Hossain Helal alleged that the proposed budget would primarily benefit ruling party-linked businesspeople, extortionists and political activists rather than the general public. “If the government cannot present a truly people-oriented budget, it should follow Jamaat’s proposed framework,” he said. The rally was chaired by Advocate Dr Helal Uddin, Nayeb-e-Ameer of Jamaat’s Dhaka South unit, and conducted by Muhammad Delawar Hossain, assistant secretary of the city unit. Among others, Jamaat leaders Dr Abdul Mannan and Muhammad Shamsur Rahman also addressed the gathering. In his presidential speech, Dr Helal Uddin claimed that instead of meeting public expectations for a new Bangladesh following the July uprising, the government had presented a conventional budget based on the old system. He criticised the proposal to require Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) certificates for opening bank accounts, claiming it would place an additional burden on ordinary citizens. Following the rally at the north gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, participants brought out a protest procession that marched through Paltan intersection and Vijaynagar. The demonstrators demanded that the government revise the proposed budget and announce what they described as a truly people-friendly budget.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Thursday staged a protest rally and demonstration in the capital against repeated increases in fuel and electricity prices, as well as the rising cost of essential commodities. The programme, organised by the party's Dhaka city units, was held at the north gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque at around 5 pm. Addressing the gathering as the chief guest, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar urged the government to curb corruption instead of increasing electricity tariffs. He claimed that public dissatisfaction with the government had become evident within three months of its assumption of office and alleged that people were expressing frustration through slogans directed at ministers. Parwar alleged that the government had failed to fulfil its election pledges and accused it of ignoring public opinion on various issues, including constitutional reforms and electricity pricing. He said stakeholders at a recent public hearing had recommended against raising electricity prices, but the government was proceeding with plans to increase tariffs by nearly 17 percent. The Jamaat leader called on the government to withdraw the proposed electricity price hike immediately. Speaking as a special guest, Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Rafiqul Islam Khan alleged that the government had increased fuel prices twice within a month and raised gas prices earlier, contributing to inflationary pressure on consumers. He also expressed concern over the country's law and order situation and criticised the appointment of the chairman of Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC, alleging that the appointee had previously resigned from a senior position at the central bank amid allegations of irregularities. Rafiqul Islam Khan further accused the government of politicising state institutions and rehabilitating individuals linked to the former Awami League administration. He urged the government to respect public opinion and avoid policies that, according to him, go against public interests. The rally was conducted by Shafiqul Islam Masud. Among others, central executive council member Mubarak Hossain, Dhaka South Nayeb-e-Ameer Helal Uddin and Dhaka North Assistant Secretary Yasin Arafat addressed the gathering. Following the rally, a procession marched from the north gate of Baitul Mukarram through Paltan intersection and Bijoynagar before ending at Kakrail. Party leaders claimed that thousands of activists participated in the demonstration.

Leader of the Opposition and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Wednesday warned against any attempt to take over or control Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC, saying the people will not accept any such move. He alleged that the government is trying to hand over Islami Bank to individuals appointed during the previous “fascist” regime, adding that opposition leaders and activists were prepared to take to the streets to “rescue” the bank. The Jamaat ameer made the remarks while speaking at an Eid reunion held at a convention centre in the capital’s Mirpur area. He claimed that Tk 34,000 crore was looted from Islami Bank during the Awami League government, alleging further attempts to destabilise the banking sector. Shafiqur Rahman said any damage to Islami Bank will severely impact the country’s economy. He also urged the government to ensure stability in the banking sector and criticised the Bangladesh Bank governor over the current situation. Expressing concern over the country’s overall situation, the Jamaat chief said the nation could not continue in its present state, questioning the future of those involved in what he described as political repression.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has announced rallies for Thursday in all metropolitan cities, including Dhaka, in protest against the hike in electricity tariffs. In a statement on Wednesday, the party strongly condemned the decision hiking the electricity prices and demanded its immediate withdrawal, along with measures to control rising commodity prices. It said the protest rally in Dhaka will be held at the North Gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque at 5:00pm. Govt moving towards fascism: Jamaat ameer In the statement, Party Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar alleged that the government is “engaged in an extreme and cruel game of cutting the pockets of the common people.” He said the increase in electricity prices ahead of the national budget is unjust and will further burden low- and middle-income groups already struggling with rising costs of essential goods. The Jamaat leader said, according to a Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) order, the average wholesale electricity price has been increased from Tk 7 to Tk 8.39 per unit, while the average retail price has risen from Tk 9.11 to Tk 10.63. He also noted that transmission charges have increased by around 24 percent. Porwar warned that the price hike will raise production costs in industry and agriculture, disrupt business activities, and push up the prices of daily essentials such as rice, pulses and edible oil. He further alleged that the burden of repeated tariff increases was being passed on to consumers to cover what he called corruption, waste and excess payments in the power sector, including capacity charges of quick rental power plants. The Jamaat leader demanded eradicating corruption and waste in the power sector, and urged the authorities to withdraw the tariff hike in the public interest. He called on people from all walks of life to participate in their protest programme.