Jamaat seeks proof of DNCC administrator’s claim ‘targeting Golam Porwar’

Jamaat-e-Islami has demanded verifiable evidence after Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Safiqul Islam Khan alleged that a political leader backing auto-rickshaw drivers’ demands owns 700 of the vehicles.

Jamaat said media reports suggested the administrator’s remarks were aimed at its Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar, a former MP, and called them “fictitious, false, baseless and fabricated”.

Shafiqul made the remark on Friday at a July-themed artwork programme on the metro rail pillars between Mirpur-12 and Agargaon.

He said a general secretary of a major political party had argued that the government should meet autorickshaw drivers’ demands.

“That is a ridiculous statement. An investigation later reportedly found that the leader owns 700 autorickshaws. People cannot keep getting away with it by changing their colours time and again,” he added.

Jamaat later said in a media statement that “such a serious allegation against a top political leader requires specific, reliable evidence”.

Commenting without presenting acceptable proof publicly “is not a mark of responsible conduct”, it said.

Jamaat said the issues of the autorickshaw movement, traffic congestion, road discipline and drivers’ livelihoods must be weighed against reality and public interest.

Any party’s stance on them should be rebutted with logic, facts and practical steps, “not by levelling unproven allegations against a leader”, it said.

The party also asked the administrator to present “specific, verifiable” evidence publicly. If he fails, it demanded that the DNCC chief withdraw the remark and apologise publicly.