Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has said that February 12 offers a glimpse of liberation as the country stands amid the ruins of destruction.

He made the remarks while addressing an election rally as the chief guest at the stadium ground in Boalmari upazila of Faridpur-1 constituency on Friday (February 6) evening. The rally was organised to seek votes for the party’s nominated candidate for the constituency, Dr Ilias Mollah. The Jamaat chief arrived at the rally venue at 6:30pm.

Dr Shafiqur Rahman said, “Standing on a heap of ruins, February 12 is offering us a glimpse of liberation. We want to leave the past behind and build a new Bangladesh. Will the map of the country we live in change? No, we will not change the map; we will change its character.”

He said February 12 was sending a different message, as young people had awakened. He called for vigilance to protect the vote.

“From the sky, a kite may swoop down—a black kite—to snatch away votes. Subversive activities have also begun on the ground. May Allah protect us from these two threats. The young people must remain alert. The slogan ‘I will cast my vote, and I will cast yours too’ is over. If anyone tries to interfere with the vote or swoops down like a black kite, their wings must be clipped and they must be resisted. No tricks or foul play will be tolerated,” he said.

Calling for a victory for ‘Yes’ in the referendum, he said, “The first vote on the 12th must be in the referendum, and you must vote ‘Yes’. I do not want Jamaat-e-Islami to win; I want the 180 million people of Bangladesh to win.”

Pledging to change what he described as the rotten practices of politics, the Jamaat chief said, “After being elected, the wealth of a leader’s in-laws will no longer increase. This is a strange culture in our country. Before becoming a leader or getting elected, they have little wealth. But as soon as they are elected, their in-laws’ wealth starts increasing by leaps and bounds. We want to change this rotten trend in politics.”

The rally was chaired by Abu Harich Mollah, deputy ameer of the district Jamaat. Others who spoke included district Jamaat Ameer Maulana Badruddin and Dr Ilias Mollah, the party’s candidate for Faridpur-1, among others.

Later, Dr Shafiqur Rahman attended another rally at the Government Rajendra College ground in Faridpur town in support of Abdur Tawab, the party’s candidate for Faridpur-3.

SA/Dhaka, February 6, 2026/