Dhaka: Leader of the opposition in parliament and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman today declared that the 2024 July uprising and its resulting victory were achievements of the people, not of any individual or political party. He conveyed this sentiment while speaking as the chief guest at the triennial national conference of the Bangladesh Transport Workers Federation held at the National Press Club.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Dr Shafiqur Rahman recounted the events of July 2024, where the then government's decision to ban Jamaat-e-Islami on July 31 and its swift implementation on the following day prompted a call from Jamaat to the people to resist the dictatorship. He expressed, "Alhamdulillah, within three days of our collective call, they were forced to flee the country."
Highlighting the sacrifices made during the July uprising, Dr Shafiqur Rahman noted that UN statistics identified workers as the largest group among the 1,400 people killed, followed by students and ordinary citizens. He emphasized that the workers were not fighting for quotas but against discrimination, aiming to live with dignity and support their families honorably.
Addressing the federation's 12-point demands, he lamented that workers still had to struggle for rights that should have been guaranteed. Dr Shafiqur Rahman called on the government to appropriately honor the families of those killed and injured during the uprising.
The conference saw delegates from across the country gathering to form a 51-member central committee. Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan and Labour Welfare Federation central president Advocate Atikur Rahman attended the event as special guests.