Do Not Shift the Blame for the Government’s Failures onto the Opposition: Shafiqur Rahman

PNN News Desk | Dhaka

Opposition Leader and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has accused the government of attempting to divert public attention by placing the blame for its various failures on the opposition. He said the government itself must take responsibility for failing to meet public expectations, including addressing extortion, illegal occupation, rising commodity prices and the deterioration of law and order.

He made the remarks as the chief guest at a discussion meeting organised by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami at the Kazi Nazrul Islam Auditorium of the National Press Club on Sunday (October 25), marking the anniversary of the signing of the July Charter.

Shafiqur Rahman said that if the government has failed to discharge its responsibilities, it should acknowledge those shortcomings and take the necessary steps to address them. Instead of resolving the problems, he alleged, there has been a tendency to blame the opposition.

“The responsibility for your unlimited failures rests with you. Do not shift the blame for your own failures onto the opposition,” he said.

Speaking about the resignation of Member of Parliament Ferdousi Ahmed Misty in connection with allegations of extortion, the Jamaat chief said that the resignation of a lawmaker accused of extortion does not automatically resolve the allegations against that person. He said the resignation might be presented as an attempt to regain public support, but ensuring justice in the case remains essential.

According to him, the allegations must be properly investigated and the person concerned brought under the purview of the law. If there are allegations of criminal wrongdoing, those allegations must be adjudicated through the legal process.

Referring to the political changes of August 5, 2024, Shafiqur Rahman said that after the end of what he described as prolonged fascist rule, expectations had emerged for the establishment of a society free from discrimination, with justice and people's rights protected. However, he said those expectations had yet to be fully realised.

He said the aspirations for which young people had given their lives needed to be reflected in reality. However, in his assessment, inequality was increasing rather than decreasing in the country. He also alleged that shortcomings remained in the establishment of justice.

The Jamaat Ameer said the true success of political change depended on how positively it affected people's lives. He called on the government to take effective measures to fulfil public expectations.

During his speech, Shafiqur Rahman also addressed allegations concerning the entry of weapons and drugs through the border and attempts to create instability within the country. He said that if there were allegations of money entering from across the border or efforts being made to destabilise the country, the government needed to play an effective role in preventing such activities.

In his view, if weapons and drugs were entering the country through the border, preventing their entry was the government's responsibility. He also questioned the government's role, alleging that individuals affiliated with the Awami League were being reinstated in important positions within the state.

Shafiqur Rahman said the government's responsibilities included ensuring national security, suppressing crime and establishing good governance in accordance with public expectations. If the government failed in these areas, it would also have to answer for those failures.

At the meeting, he called on the government to stop concealing its shortcomings, identify the problems facing the country and take effective initiatives to resolve them.