Nation hasn’t reached potential due to failures of governments: Jamaat Ameer

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman said that the failures of past governments have prevented the nation from reaching its true potential, and instead, buffeted societies with continued discrimination, injustice, and oppression.

Frequent attacks are also taking place targeting people’s dignity, property, and lives, Shafiqur said on Monday at a ceremony in Mirpur, Dhaka, where special grants from the Ministry of Social Welfare were handed over to underprivileged students.

Shafiqur was the chief guest at the event.

Also present were Jamaat-e-Islami Central Executive Council Member and Dhaka Metropolitan North Nayeb-e-Ameer Abdur Rahman Musa; and Central Majlis-e-Shura Member and Assistant Secretary of the party’s Dhaka City North unit Fakhruddin Manik; among others.

Shafiqur Rahman said that the students receiving the cheques were very young. He expressed hope that these students will grow up and eventually use their talent to lead the nation and occupy important positions in society.

Addressing the students, he said, “If you can develop yourselves from now on with knowledge, intellect, skills, and morality, and if you can love people and Allah, then we can hope for a better society in the future through you.”

He said that the state and those involved in politics have a responsibility to support the development of students’ talents.

He further said that because quality education is not adequately provided in schools, families are forced to run around arranging private tutoring for their children. “This is not a sign of a healthy society,” he said.

Not every family can afford to hire separate tutors for their children. As students often do not receive adequate quality education at school and many cannot afford qualified tutors, many talented students fall behind or drop out despite having considerable potential.

Shafiqur Rahman said that the country and the state must take full responsibility for developing students’ talents. An appropriate environment must be restored in educational institutions.

He said, “We want teachers to serve as substitutes for students’ parents. They should be the craftsmen who shape students into good human beings. We must restore our curriculum, teachers, education system, and educational environment.”

He added, “We have lost so much in the field of education that we have now become a nation that has lost almost everything.”

He said that the competition in extortion, self-interest, and dishonesty prevalent in society at present must come to an end.

“We want this culture to be buried. Insha’Allah, our students can do it, and they must do it. The nation must not be allowed to lose; the nation must win. For that, students must prepare themselves,” he said.