AL waged liberation war but it couldn’t retain the achievement: Jamaat Amir

Bangladesh Awami League (AL) waged the liberation war but the party could not retain its achievements, said Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami amir Shafiqur Rahman Tuesday.

He further said how the Awami League sees itself is more important than how the people consider the party.

The Jamaat amir said this in response to a question after exchanging views with the members of Indian Media Correspondents Association Bangladesh (IMCAB) at an auditorium in the city’s Moghbazar area in the afternoon.

Responding to a question on former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s staying in India, he said, “It doesn’t suit her leaving the country like Lakshman Sen after ruling here for 15 and a half years. Jamaat leaders never left the country, they stayed here and faced the oddities. Our leaders stayed in the country bearing jail and oppression.”

Shafiqur Rahman also remarked that the judiciary has been destroyed. A former chief justice was forced to leave the country. There is no election commission and electoral system in the country now. The police have turned into an enemy of the people instead of becoming a friend.

The Jamaat amir reiterated that the interim government must be given time for holding the election. The country must be reformed.

Speaking about the imminent tasks of Jamaat, he said, the party should stay by the families of the people who died in the “student-people revolution” and those who sustained injuries.

Later, a release about the event was sent to the media.

It said the Jamaat amir hoped law and order would return to the country very soon. A reform is needed in the country’s constitution, administration, judiciary and political culture. No division could be made based on religion or party.

It also said that Jamaat does not believe in revenge and the party respects everyone’s rights.

The Jamaat amir also alleged that the party faces negative propaganda. “We were blamed whenever any incident took place in the country. When an MP was killed in Gaibandha, the prime minister in her parliament speech blamed Jamaat for this. But that was proved to be false later.”

Jamaat always demonstrated in a democratic way and peacefully. Two members of Jamaat were involved in running the government but they were never touched by corruption and nepotism. Rather, they stood by the people in their woes. Jamaat was neither involved in destructive activities in the past nor now.

Shafiqur Rahman also dubbed the banning of Jamaat-e-Islami by an executive order during the immediate past government on 1 August as an oppression.

He mentioned that Jamaat-e-Islami has been guarding the people of other faiths after the 5 August changeover.

He said, “We guarded the houses, assets, places of worship of other religions so that none could vandalise those. We believe all the people are equal. There is no question of the majority and minority community here.”