Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman fell ill twice while delivering his speech at the party’s national rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon (July 19).

The incident occurred shortly after Dr. Rahman began addressing thousands of party members and supporters gathered at the historic venue. 

Witnesses said he suddenly collapsed mid-speech, prompting other leaders on stage to rush to his aid.

After being helped up, the Jamaat chief attempted to resume his address but fell ill again. He was then seated on a chair and, following a brief pause, continued his speech while seated.

In his remarks, Dr. Rahman declared, “I will work for this country as long as I live.”

He also pledged to root out corruption and extortion, saying, “There will be no more extortion, no corruption in Bangladesh. We will not take extortion, and we will not give extortion.”

Referring to the July uprising, the Jamaat leader expressed regret at not being martyred in the movement, saying, “It is my misfortune that I could not be a martyr. May Allah accept me as a martyr in any future movement.”

Calling for a break from the past, he added, “From now on, there will be nothing old in Bangladesh. If these old, rotten sacks of stuff remain in this country, then why did so many people give their lives?”

The rally was held to press home Jamaat’s seven-point demands, including electoral reform and the introduction of proportional representation. It marked the party’s first solo national rally at Suhrawardy Udyan.

Dr. Rahman’s condition was not immediately known following the event, though party officials said he managed to finish his speech while seated.

MN/SMS