London, November 19, 2024:
Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, has called for recognizing those killed in the 2024 uprising as “National Heroes.” He highlighted that people from all walks of life participated in this historic movement, with even expatriates supporting the cause to the best of their abilities. He expressed his gratitude and congratulations to everyone involved, praying for the departed souls’ eternal peace and their highest place in martyrdom.
Dr. Rahman made these remarks on Tuesday, November 19, during a ‘Meet the Press’ event held at a restaurant in East London with journalists from the UK-based Bangla media.
While emphasizing the contributions of expatriates, he remarked, “Through remittances, expatriates are providing significant support to Bangladesh. In addition to monetary remittances, I urge them to contribute ‘intellectual remittances,’ which can greatly aid the nation’s intellectual growth. By doing so, expatriates can play a pivotal role in building the dream Bangladesh.”
Referring to the rampant corruption of past governments, Dr. Shafiq said that the potential for development in the country has been severely undermined. “The cost of development projects in Bangladesh has been shown to be triple that of similar projects in neighboring countries. Deadlines are never met, costs are repeatedly inflated, and projects are delayed, which has systematically drained the nation.”
He further stated, “For 15 years, we were denied the right to work from our offices, to speak, or to hold rallies. We couldn’t reach the people through the media.”
Dr. Shafiqur Rahman also emphasized that a lack of national unity and widespread corruption have hindered the nation’s progress. “Corruption is a national shame for us. The UK has largely succeeded in keeping itself free from corruption, earning global respect. Unfortunately, we have failed to achieve that. A society cannot prosper if its leaders are not honest.”
The event also featured Barrister Abu Bakr Molla, the European spokesperson for Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. The program, conducted by Abu Saleh Yahya, began with a Quran recitation by Imam Uddin and included patriotic songs performed by artist Kamal Hossain. More than 50 journalists from various UK-based Bangla media outlets participated in the event.
