Movement will intensify until referendum verdict is implemented

Shafiqur Rahman, leader of the opposition in parliament and ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, has warned that the movement will be intensified if the referendum verdict is not implemented. He said the movement would continue until the verdict was implemented, with each successive programme becoming stronger than the previous one. Shafiqur made the remarks on Saturday during a long march by the 11-party alliance from Dhaka towards Khulna and Kushtia. The long march began in the morning after a rally at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in the capital. Along the route, rallies were held at Naodoba in Shariatpur, Katakhali in Bagerhat, Babri Chattar and Swadhinata Chattar in Fultala in Khulna, and Murali intersection in Jashore. At the time of writing this report at 9:00pm, a rally by the alliance was underway near the Jhenaidah-Chuadanga bus stand.

The long march was scheduled to conclude with a rally in Kushtia later that night. Thousands of people attended the roadside rallies, where Shafiqur and other senior leaders of the 11 parties addressed the crowds. The Jamaat chief also delivered brief speeches while standing in his vehicle at Hasnabad in South Keraniganj of Dhaka, Louhajang in Munshiganj, Kashiani in Gopalganj and Nawapara in Jashore. Speaking at a rally at Babri Chattar, also known as Shibbari intersection, in Khulna in the afternoon, Shafiqur said they would not compromise with anyone and would return home only after securing their demands. Earlier, speaking at a rally at Swadhinata Chattar in Fultala, the Jamaat chief said the alliance's seven-point demand could turn into a single-point demand at any time. Addressing party activists, he said they might be called upon to travel to Dhaka for a one-point movement. A call might also come to…