Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and opposition leader Dr. Shafiqur Rahman stated that those who do not respect the people's verdict cannot claim to be supporters of democracy. He made the remarks on Friday morning at a workers’ conference organized by Narayanganj Metropolitan Jamaat at the central Eidgah ground. The event was chaired by city Jamaat Ameer Maulana Abdul Jabbar and attended by several central and local leaders. During the conference, Dr. Rahman announced Abdul Jabbar as Jamaat’s candidate for the Narayanganj City Corporation election.

Dr. Rahman said Jamaat’s stance during the election was clear in favor of a referendum, accusing the government of covertly campaigning against it. He claimed that despite 67.8 percent voter participation, the referendum’s outcome was not properly valued. He criticized the government for appointing loyalists to key institutions, including the central bank and universities, as part of an attempt to establish one-party rule. He also lamented the loss of Narayanganj’s industrial reputation, citing unresolved cases like the Taqi murder and the seven killings.

He urged the government to respect the referendum results and warned against creating new political godfathers in Narayanganj.