STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman yesterday said the opposition’s “primary arena” is the streets, not parliament, stressing that the party will remain in the House only as long as it can wage a meaningful fight within it.

“The distressed people of this country sent us to parliament hoping for change. If we cannot initiate that change, what is the use of this parliament?” he asked while addressing a discussion with families of July martyrs and fighters in Dhaka.

His remarks came amid the Jamaat-led 11-Party Alliance’s push, both inside parliament and through street protests, to implement the referendum verdict on state reforms under the July National Charter.

Shafiqur, the leader of the opposition in parliament, vowed that the opposition would fight alongside the people to bring about the “final defeat of fascism” and secure victory for citizens.

He also criticised attempts to politicise the martyrs’ sacrifice, saying, “Martyrs do not belong to any party; they are the proud asset of the nation. We do not want any division along party lines.”

The programme was organised by the 11-Party Alliance at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh auditorium in Kakrail.

Presiding over the event, Opposition Chief Whip and NCP Convener Nahid Islam said the unity forged during the 2024 mass uprising still holds, but alleged that the current BNP government has become “the main obstacle” to reforms.

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