Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar has said the 11-party alliance’s long march from Dhaka to Rangpur will be peaceful and orderly. “We do not want any disorder, and we will not allow it to happen,” he said.

He made the remarks at a press briefing on Thursday (September 17) afternoon following a meeting of the top leaders of the 11-party alliance at the official residence of the Leader of the Opposition to discuss preparations for the Dhaka-Rangpur long march scheduled for September 19.

Golam Parwar said, “We have made a written appeal to the government and the administration, including the police administration, civil society, traffic authorities, intelligence agencies, and the deputy commissioners and superintendents of police of every district along our route, asking them to cooperate with our orderly programme.”

He said, “Our programme will be non-violent and orderly. There is no plan or intention among the 11 parties to create instability, disorder or vandalism. Our entire programme will be peaceful.”

Warning those who might attempt to obstruct the 11-party programme, Golam Parwar said, “If anyone deliberately tries to disrupt this peaceful environment and the 11-party alliance’s peaceful, orderly and democratic programme, destabilise the country, send a wrong message to the 11 parties or the nation, or sabotage the programme, we respectfully urge them to refrain from such reckless thinking.”

He added, “Since we do not want any disorder and will not allow it, why would you unnecessarily pick a quarrel and turn a peaceful country into an unrest-ridden one?”

Referring to the political crisis, he said a major political crisis had emerged in the country, which he attributed to the rejection of the verdict of the referendum.

“As a political party, the opposition always cooperates with the government, presses its demands and stages protests. But there is no precedent in history where a government, after an election, can annul or reject the verdict of a referendum in which 70 percent of the people voted ‘Yes’,” he said.

He said, “In Bangladesh, that precedent has also been set, as those who came to power in the name of democracy have curtailed the aspirations of the people by using their majority.”

Urging the government not to go against the will of the people by relying on its parliamentary majority, the Jamaat leader said, “This was discussed at today’s top-level meeting. We will urge the government never to use the strength of its majority to go against the will of the people.”

He said, “Just because you have a majority, does that mean you can change the laws of the Quran and Sunnah and interfere with the law? Will you do everything simply because you have a majority?”

Referring to local government elections and MPO-enlisted teachers, he said, “By using the strength of your majority, you are changing long-standing laws governing local government elections and conspiring to disqualify MPO-enlisted teachers from contesting elections. If you keep showing the power of your majority everywhere, you will have to learn a lesson. Many people acquired authoritarian and fascist characteristics by trying to demonstrate the power of their majority. We call on the government to step back from this path.”

He said the opening rally of the long march would begin at 7am on September 19 at the historic Manik Mia Avenue in the capital and continue until 8am. The convoy would then travel through Gazipur directly toward Rangpur District School ground, with the long march continuing until it reaches the destination.

Describing the route, he said the convoy would leave Manik Mia Avenue at 8am, pass through Gazipur-Tongi and hold its first roadside rally in the Bhogra area of the Gazipur bypass. It would then travel through Tangail, where the second roadside rally would be held at Nagar Jalfai intersection.

After crossing the Jamuna Bridge, a roadside rally would be held at Hatia Kumrul intersection in Sirajganj. The convoy is expected to reach the area around noon, where arrangements would be made for participants to offer Zuhr prayers.

The long march would then proceed toward Palashbari in Gaibandha, where another roadside rally could be held around evening or Maghrib time. However, the timing could change depending on road conditions, he said. The programme would conclude at Rangpur District School ground.

Golam Parwar said activists from different districts would have the opportunity to join the long-march convoy. Vehicles carrying participants from different districts would join at the rear of the main convoy. A vehicle carrying performers from the cultural wing would bring up the rear.

He said volunteers, security personnel, medical teams and ambulances would also accompany the procession. IT and media teams would also remain with the long march.

“God willing, our long march will set out as a well-organised convoy of vehicles,” Golam Parwar said.

Noting that the route would be around 60 kilometres longer than the Dhaka-Chattogram route, he said, “Therefore, it will not be possible for us to arrange separately cooked food or such facilities along the way.”

He urged activists travelling in each vehicle to bring dry food, water, medicines and other necessary items according to their means. He said there would be no food arrangements along the route.