Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
Press Briefing
Venue: Central Office, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami
Date: July 3, 2010. Time: 11:30am
Dear Journalist Friends,
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah.
You all know that the arrest of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and former Industries Minister Maulana Motiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary General and former Social Welfare Minister Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and Nayeb-e-Ameer Maulana Delawar Hossain Sayedee on June 29 in a false case filed a government-sympathiser in connection with hurting the religious sentiment is politically motivated.
After the arrest they were produced before CMM court on June 30 which granted them bail. In spite of the bail the government has shown them arrested in some other false cases lodged hastily against them and they are being persecuted in the police remand.
It is evident from the police actions that a vested quarter in the government has filed the case on false plea. High Court has stayed three out of the five cases. It may be mentioned here that Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan’s speech, at a discussion of the life and actions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) popularly known as Siratunnabi (PBUH) mahfil, was distorted and charges were framed against him including Maulana Nizami and Mohammad Mojaheed who were not present at the meeting. How can a case be lodged against those who didn’t even attend the Siratunnabi (PBUH) mahfil. So the case and their remand in police custody testify to the sheer political vengeance.
The leaders got bail on June 30 in the case they were held. Whereas they have been shown arrested in Uttara treason case and obstructing the police in the execution of their duty case which are false and fabricated and a 16-day remand has been granted. Their mental torture in police remand is quite unethical, inhuman and unreasonable. Not only that bringing in remand their human rights have been abused.
Journalist friends
It is known to all that Maulana Motiur Rahman Nizami is a reputed Islamic scholar who served two parliaments as elected MP and also served as cabinet minister for five years. BJI Nayeb-e-Ameer Maulana Delawar Hossain Sayedee, elected Member of Parliament for two times, is an Islamic scholar and preacher of world repute. They are country’s national leader and topmost leader of Jamaat as well. There age is above 65 years. Taking such important persons to remand over more than half a month is an unprecedented incident in the country. By torturing and persecuting the national leaders in false cases the grand-alliance government has set up an example of bizarre behavior.
In protest of the arrest of its leaders Jamaat instantly staged demonstration in the evening on June 29. To press home its demands the organisation declared peaceful protest rallies across the country on June 30 and July 1 and the following day on July 02, 2010 Jamaat observed Doa Day. But the government obstructed the peaceful processions and doa mahfil in different ways. In many places Awami League activists and the police banded together to launch attack on the gatherings and protest rallies, injured and arrested many people. Inspite of that Jamaat-e-Islami alongwith the mass people observed the scheduled programme peacefully. In the mean time the police and government party’s terrorists injured more than 300 activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir and arrested more than 400 throughout the country.
47 cases were lodged under Speedy Trial law. The arrests include Jamaat Central Working Committee member, Khulna City Ameer and former MP Prof Ghulam Parwar, Kushtia district Amir and former MP Abdul Wahed and Nayeb-e-Ameer Farhad Hossain, Jhalkathi district Ameer Adv. Hafizur Rahman, Nayeb-e-Ameer Principal Faridul Haque, Sherpur district Secretary Maulana Abdul Baten, Rajshahi City acting Secretary Abu Bakar Siddique and Majlis-e-Shoora member of Dhaka City ATM Sirajul Haque. Many Jamaat and Shibir leaders of Jamaat Khulna City including its Ameer Prof. Ghulam Parwar are in police remand and being tortured and persecuted by police.
So far the government has netted 1,200 activists of Jamaat and Shibir and every one of them was sued. More than one case was filed against Jamaat leaders. I demand to withdraw the cases filed against leaders and activists and the unconditional release all the arrested including Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Maolana Matiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid and Nayeb-e-Amir Maolana Delwar Hossain Saidee, Rajshahi City Amir Ataur Rahman, Jamaat Khulna City Amir Prof Ghulam Parwar, Kushtia District Amir Abdul Wahed and Jhalkathi District Amir Adv Hafizur Rahman.
Dear Journalist Friends,
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is a lawful and a legal political party which has representatives in the National Parliament. Jamaat which had representation in all previous parliaments. As the third largest Democratic Party of the country Jamaat is playing a constructive & positive role. The present government is obstructing the party in playing its role as opposition. After coming to power the government has continued to torture and persecute Jamaat activists. We are democratically protesting against government’s misrule on the streets and cases in courts. The government is neither allowing us to play a role in the Jatiya Sangsad nor permitting us to stage demonstration on the streets. The incidents of atrocities and excesses committed by police from June 29 to July 2 are unprecedented in the political landscape. In a civilised and democratic society such a tyrannical and atrocious manner is unacceptable and unbelievable. The countrymen have observed the atrocious manner of police with Awami-League terrorists.
As a lawful and legitimate political party Jamaat has the legal and constitutional right to stage rally and demonstration and organise protest & procession. But the government is depriving us of our rights. Our peaceful processions, rallies, demos are being foiled by police and ruling party political cadres. On the one hand government is unleashing terrorism and on the other, it is propagating that Jamaat might attempt sabotage. Those who are unleashing terrorism don’t have the right to launch a propaganda claim of planning destruction against us.
Maulana Motiur Rahman Nizami, Maulana Delawar Hossain Sayedee and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed are top leaders of the organisation. The people of the country know them well. They are involved in peaceful, systematic, constitutional and democratic politics. They never involved with any activities subversive of the state. There is no proof of their involvement with any unjust activities. Despite all these government is torturing them implicating in false cases. Government should rather punish the listed criminals, ruling party cadres involved in tender snatching, culprits responsible for terrorising the educational campuses, BCL leaders engaged in admission business and those who forced girl students to sexual business than detaining Jamaat leaders. It is evident from this situation that government has resorted to cane a good boy and in place rewarding a rogue with carrot.
Journalist friends
Jamaat came under sheer torture and persecution only because it protests at the government’s move to allow India to use Bangladesh as corridor without giving second thought to national security, permitting to use Ashuganj land port, Chittagong and Mongla ports unconditionally, giving green signal to the neighbour to enter our national greed, imposing an education devoid of Islamic values, the conspiracies to ban Islamic movements and saying ‘yes’ to the Indian move to construct dam on Tipaimukh on the Barak river.
We assert that Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami banded with local people will continue to stage demonstrations, protests, rallies democratically at the atrocities, torture, persecution as there is no alternative to mass-movement against the government’s misrule and tyranny. So we urge the people of all strata to intensify the mass-movement against all sorts of excesses, torture and persecution and announce the next programmes:-
1. Demonstration on July 4 and 5
2. Human chain on July 7
3. Fasting on July 9 and 10 to get rid of the injustice, harassment, atrocities
We urge all the tiers of Jamaat-e-Islami and the countrymen to make our programme success.
We thank you for giving us a patient hearing.
Allah Hafez. Long live Bangladesh. Long live Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami
ATM Azharul Islam
Acting Secretary General
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami
