Jamaat leader Abdur Razzaq resigns

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdur Razzaq has resigned from his position citing his party’s failure to apologise to the people of Bangladesh for its anti-independence role in 1971.

“Yet, in 1971, our predecessors opposed the independence of Bangladesh and failed to publicly protest against the atrocities committed by the Pakistan Army,” Razzaq said in a press statement, obtained by Prothom Alo on Friday morning.

In a letter sent from the United Kingdom, he tendered his resignation to Maqbul Ahmed, the Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat.

In his resignation letter, Razzaq observed that ‘over the last three decades he has been trying relentlessly to persuade Jamaat to have a frank discussion of the events of 1971, Jamaat’s role in those events and why it decided to support Pakistan and apologise for that decision.’

Razzaq further said all his efforts were unsuccessful and that as a result, those who were born after 1971 and even the many unborn generations who may be associated with Jamaat in future will have to bear this burden.

Razzaq also stated that after joining Jamaat, one of his objectives was to reform the party from within.

He also said he advocated structural reform, fundamental changes in Jamaat’s objectives and effective participation of women.

In the letter Razzaq recognised the immense potential of the young generation of Bangladeshis who are patriotic and are capable of playing an active role in changing the face of Bangladesh.