Desk Report: Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has stepped up preparations for its planned Dhaka-Rangpur long march on September 19, with the party calling on its leaders, activists and people from all walks of life to make the programme a success.

A preparatory meeting was held at the party`s central office in Moghbazar here on Sunday afternoon, with Jamaat Secretary General and former MP Mia Golam Parwar, also convener of the Long March Implementation Committee, in the chair.

The meeting reviewed preparations for the long march and discussed arrangements at different levels. Parwar reviewed the preparations undertaken by divisional leaders and provided necessary directives.

He called on the party`s organisational units to take necessary measures to ensure the participation of a large number of activists as well as people from different professions and sections of society in the opening rally of the programme.

Among those present at the meeting were Jamaat Assistant Secretary General and former MP Dr AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, also coordinator of the 11-party alliance; Rangpur-Dinajpur regional director Maulana Abdul Halim; Publicity and Media Secretary Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubayer; Central Executive Council member Mobarak Hossain; and Dhaka North City Jamaat Secretary Dr Rezaul Karim.

Central Working Committee member and Labour Welfare Federation President Advocate Atikur Rahman, Advocate Helal Uddin, Central Majlis-e-Shura members Dr Fakhruddin Manik and Yasin Arafat, planning expert Engineer Sirajul Islam, Islami Chhatra Shibir Secretary General Sibgatullah Sibga and Professor Saifullah Mansur, among others, also attended the meeting.

According to the party`s programme, the long march will begin with an opening rally at Manik Mia Avenue in the capital from 7am to 8am on September 19. The procession will then leave Dhaka for Rangpur.

Five roadside rallies are scheduled to be held along the route in Gazipur, Tangail, Sirajganj, Bogura and Gaibandha. The programme is scheduled to conclude with a rally at RangpurZillaSchool ground.

Jamaat said the long march is being organised with a number of demands, including implementation of the people`s verdict in a referendum, trial of those responsible for the July massacre, and resolution of the shortages of electricity, fuel, gas and fertiliser.

The party has also demanded measures to curb the rising prices of essential commodities, improve law and order, and stop corruption, extortion and land grabbing. It also called for an end to what it described as narrow partisanisation at all levels of the administration.

Jamaat leaders urged people across the country and the party`s rank and file to participate spontaneously in the long march to press for what they described as legitimate public demands.

They also sought cooperation from all political parties, the government, civil administration, police, traffic authorities and the Roads and Highways Department to ensure the smooth implementation of the programme.