Jamaat chief’s absence at July Memorial event linked to protocol breach: Porwar

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman did not attend the inauguration of the July Uprising Memorial as the invitation card allegedly failed to give him due protocol recognition, the party’s Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a press conference at the party’s central office, Porwar said both Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman and the party’s secretary general had been invited to the event, but the opposition leader was not accorded the protocol and respect befitting his position.
He said the opposition leader holds the status of a full minister under the Warrant of Precedence and should have been accorded the appropriate recognition.
His remarks came a day after Prime Minister Tarique Rahman questioned the opposition leader’s absence from the inauguration of the newly built July Memorial at Osmani Udyan. Commenting on the opposition leader’s absence, the Prime Minister said the opposition had failed to embrace the July Uprising, which he suggested was the reason Shafiqur did not attend despite being invited.
Porwar also rejected Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s explanation and said, “We reject such allegations. We condemn the untrue and ridiculous information presented by the prime minister.”
He said the invitation card did not specify Shafiqur’s seating arrangements or indicate whether he had been invited as a special guest or in another capacity. He alleged that the opposition leader would have been seated among the general audience if he had attended the event. “Do you expect the leader of such a large opposition party to risk humiliation by attending a major government event under these circumstances?” he asked.
Porwar said, “Jamaat is committed to upholding the spirit of the July Uprising and is taking to the streets to demand implementation of the referendum and the July Charter while the BNP-led government is avoiding the implementation of the referendum and undermining the spirit of the July Charter through partisan appointments to constitutional posts and government institutions.”
Highlighting Jamaat’s support for the families of those killed during the July Uprising and its assistance in arranging medical treatment for the injured, Porwar said the party had also published compilations on the lives and contributions of the martyrs in Bangla, English and Arabic.
Several Jamaat MPs and central leaders were present at the press conference.