Broom in hand, Jamaat ameer starts day cleaning Mirpur streets

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman began his day sweeping the streets and alleys at his constituency in Mirpur the day after being sworn in as the leader of the opposition in parliament.

Emerging from a local mosque after Fazr prayers, Shafiqur, wearing gloves and a mask, picked up a broom and started cleaning the road.

Speaking to reporters, he said he was keeping a promise he had made earlier. “I had said I would start my duty by cleaning the roads, and I am keeping my word,” he said.

He stressed that the initiative was not a one-day publicity stunt. “Our units will work throughout this community every day,” he added.

The Jamaat chief urged party volunteers to come out after morning prayers and clean the streets for at least half an hour daily. “If they can do it for an hour, all the better,” he said.

Shafiqur, who is also a physician, said he wanted to develop his constituency into a “model neighbourhood” in Dhaka. “Whether or not we receive funds from the government, we will continue this initiative,” he said.

At the same time, he said the government should not deprive his area of its rightful allocation of funds.

The opposition leader also sought cooperation from all quarters, including those who contested the election against him, to make Mirpur a cleaner and safer place for residents.

Clad in his trademark white kurta, the 67-year-old opposition leader, said he had won this round and someone else might win the next time round. "That is the beauty of democracy."

But, he said, development efforts should transcend party lines and religious differences.

“I am not ending my duty today; this is just the beginning,” he said. “If I am in Dhaka, I will come here every day to clean the area. And if I am outside Dhaka, I will work there with my co-workers.”