Rafi Rahmatullah: Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar has called on the party leaders and activists to exercise “extreme patience and restraint” to make Saturday’s Dhaka-Rangpur long march a success without provoking any confrontation.

“We will make our democratic programme successful by showing the utmost patience and restraint,” Porwar said at a press briefing at the party’s central office in the capital on Friday.

The long march, scheduled for September 19, is being organised with a seven-point set of demands, including implementation of the people’s mandate in the referendum, trial of those responsible for the July mass killings, resolution of shortages of electricity, fuel, gas and fertiliser, control of rising prices of essential commodities, an end to corruption, extortion and land grabbing, improvement of law and order, an end to narrow partisan practices, and implementation of the Teesta Master Plan.

Porwar said extensive preparations had been completed in all district and metropolitan units along the route of the long march.

He said an inaugural rally would be held at 7am on Saturday at Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka before the procession leaves for Rangpur at around 8am.

According to the schedule, rallies will be held at Bhogra Bypass in Gazipur, Nagar Jalpai in Tangail, Hatikumrul in Sirajganj, Matidali Airport intersection in Bogura and Palashbari in Gaibandha. The programme will conclude with a rally at Rangpur Zilla School ground.

“We held a meeting with the responsible leaders last night. Our leaders have informed us that we expect a massive response from the people and cooperation from the administration,” he said.

Porwar said the movement initially focused on six demands, but the demand for implementation of the Teesta Master Plan was added following a decision taken at a meeting of leaders of an 11-party alliance at the residence of the Leader of the Opposition on Thursday.

He urged the government to overcome any hesitation over the Teesta Master Plan and take necessary diplomatic initiatives to implement it.

“The people of the region have a long-standing demand for implementation of the Teesta Master Plan,” he said.

The Jamaat leader claimed that millions of people were preparing to welcome the procession along its route, including women who, he said, were expected to stand by the roadside to greet the marchers. He added that more than 1,000 vehicles were expected to join the procession and that arrangements had been made to provide instructions and assign responsibilities for the vehicles.

Porwar appealed to the government and law enforcement agencies not to obstruct the “orderly and peaceful” long march.

At the same time, he urged participants not to respond to provocations.

“We have asked our leaders and activists not to fall into anyone’s provocation, no matter how many provocations there may be,” he said.

Even if participants were physically harmed, he said, avoiding retaliation and ensuring the success of the long march would be more important.

He sought cooperation from the ruling BNP, police, civil administration, intelligence agencies, traffic authorities, roadside small traders and pedestrians, as well as drivers and passengers.

Porwar also appealed to the media to provide extensive coverage of the programme, saying journalists assigned to cover the long march would be given necessary facilities.

“We will try to provide all kinds of space to journalists assigned by different media houses to cover the long march,” he said, adding that media vehicles would be allowed to travel free of charge.

He said the organisers had received widespread public and media support during the earlier Dhaka-Chattogram long march and expressed hope for similar cooperation during the Dhaka-Rangpur programme.

Earlier, a meeting of the long march implementation committee was held, where preparations by different departments were reviewed and responsibilities were distributed.

Porwar called on people across the country and leaders and activists of the 11-party alliance to participate spontaneously and help make the Dhaka-Rangpur long march successful.

The briefing was attended, among others, by Jamaat Assistant Secretary General and Coordinator Dr AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, Publicity and Media Secretary Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubayer, Executive Council members Mobarak Hossain and Dr Rezaul Karim, Executive Committee member Mohammad Zahidur Rahman, Dhaka North city assistant secretaries Dr Fakhruddin Manik and Yasin Arafat, and Dhaka North city Publicity and Media Secretary Md Ataur Rahman Sarker.