11-party alliance postpones 21 November Sylhet long march over single-line and rail-link snags
Photo: Collected
The Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance has postponed its long march from Dhaka towards Sylhet. The decision was taken in view of the poor condition of the highway and the hardship that travel by rail would cause.
The alliance’s liaison committee met today, Sunday, at Jamaat’s central office in Moghbazar in the capital. After the meeting, liaison committee coordinator and Jamaat assistant secretary general Hamidur Rahman Azad announced the postponement at a press conference.
Azad said they had decided to hold the long march by rail as the Dhaka-Sylhet highway is in a poor state. But on enquiry it emerged that this railway line has rail links with Chattogram, Chandpur and various other places, the long-march train would have to stop at many points, and in some places there is only a single line. All in all, the arrangements would be very complicated and public suffering was certain, he said.
Azad said, ‘We discussed it today and found that it is in fact not possible to hold the long march by train on 21 November. For that reason, we have formally decided today and are announcing that we are postponing our long march towards Sylhet.’
Hamidur Rahman Azad claimed the long marches had been held to press the people’s demands. In his words, ‘Our seven-point demands are all people-friendly demands; they speak what is in the people’s hearts. When we took to the streets to voice what is in their hearts, the people responded overwhelmingly. Through that successful programme, we have been able to send the government the message that the people have no confidence in this government.’
Remarking that the people have turned away from the government, the Jamaat leader said, ‘Because the government has failed. On the one hand, the government could not fulfil the people’s July aspirations. On the other, it sought a “Yes” vote, which won and was gazetted, but it has not implemented the result. After coming to power, it has started moving in the opposite direction.’
He added, ‘The most worrying thing is that it has scrapped whatever reforms were made under the interim government. The second aspiration, the commitment, was the trial of the genocide, and that too has been prolonged. The verdicts have not been executed; convicted and sentenced accused are living in jail like pampered sons-in-law. This is proof of the government’s favour towards fascism.’
Present at the meeting were NCP joint convener Ariful Islam Adib, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis senior joint secretary general Ataullah Amin, LDP acting secretary general Advocate Billal Miazi, AB Party joint secretary general Abdullah Al Mamun Rana, Nezam-e-Islam Party secretary general Musa Bin Izhar and Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (Jagpa) vice-president Rashed Pradhan, along with other leaders of the alliance.
Background
According to a Daily Inqilab report of 5 September, the 11-party alliance began a Dhaka-Chattogram long march from Shapla Chattar in the capital that day, pressing six-point demands including implementation of the referendum verdict.
Ittefaq reported on 13 September that the alliance’s next long march was from Dhaka towards Rangpur on 19 September, and by then demands to end corruption, land grabbing and extortion had been added to the six points, making them seven. Desh Rupantor’s report of 19 September, however, described the Rangpur long march’s demands as eight points; the sources differ on this.
Sources
Original report: Ajker Patrika
Background sources: Daily Inqilab, 5 September 2026; Ittefaq, 13 September 2026; Desh Rupantor, 19 September 2026
