22 March 2017, Wed, 10:22

No alternative to National unity for resisting militancy

Secretary General expresses concern as innocent peoples are being branded and murdured as militants

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Secretary General Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has issued the following statement on 22nd March, 2017 expressing deep concern at the incident of murdering innocent peoples in the name of resisting militancy.

“No patriot citizen can support militancy. Islam never approves and endorses militancy. The quarters which are supporting militancy by using the name of Islam, are the real enemy of Islam.

It is the demand of the moment to wipe out militancy and to establish rule of law and disciplines. National unity is inevitable to curb militancy. But we have been observing that several questions have been raised among the peoples about the government’s undertaken initiatives for tackling militancy. Almost every effort creates new mystery. Some interested intellectuals and also some officials of the law enforcement bodies are trying to invent new connection between Islam and militancy. They are trying to misguide people by blaming Jamaat and Chhatrashibir intentionally immediately after an ill-occurrence takes place.

After the recent murder of the Awami League lawmaker of Gaibandha-1 constituency, Monjurul Islam Liton, many parliament members of ruling Awami League and several ministers delivered speeches in media blaming Jamaat and Chhatrashibir. The most surprising thing is, even the Prime Minister delivered address in the parliament accusing Jamaat and Chhatrashibir of this murder. Later on, the subsequent investigation proved that, local former MP from government’s alliance partner Jatiya Party, Dr. Abdul Quader Khan was the mastermind of this murder. Jamaat and Chhatrashibir were no way involved with this murder incident.

It has become a common phenomenon that immediately after a militant attack in anywhere inside the country, arrest drive against Jamaat-Shibir activities begin. Some 134 innocent leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and Chhatrashibir have been arrested and abducted centering the murder incident of MP LIton. But for how many days such repression will continue?

It is very much clear to the countrymen that Jamaat and Chhatrashibir have no connection with militancy and extremism. Jamaat and Chhatrashibir sincerely believe in the constructive trend of politics. Government’s verbal claims of resisting militancy are not being observed in practice. The government has raised the issue of militancy just to divert the public attention. We, by all means, are against of militancy. We want the militancy to be eliminated. But the way, the law enforcers are dealing with the issues, are causing some more questions and mysteries. Recently, RAB claimed that a militant, entered into his camp and caused a suicide bomb blast. RAB claimed the deceased militant as Jewel Rana, hailed from Vanga Upazila of Faridpur district. But the real Jewel Rana appeared in the office of daily Bangladesh Pratidin on last 19th March and claimed that he had never been to RAB office. I am not a militant and I am not dead. How the finger print of the deceased man become resembled to the finger print of this Jewel Rana that also produced many questions. Finger prints of two different persons can never be similar. The countrymen are suffering from panic due to such unexpected incongruities among the law enforcing entities.

Immediate after the incident, the law enforcers carried a raid in the localities and claimed to arrest a person named Hanif Mridha. Later the news of his custodial death published in the newspaper. But his family claimed that, on 27th February, 18 days before the RAB office attack incident, a group of plain clothed dressed had abducted him and they also took a cheque of 6 lac and 70 thousand taka by frightening them. A report published in a national daily on 22nd March claimed that some 41 people have been killed so far in last 8 months during the anti-militant drive.

In recent times, government and some pro-government media are talking about abolishing militancy. But we are observing with great concern, the law enforcers are not arresting the militants as alive. So naturally peoples are in genuine fear and tension. Claiming as police or RAB, many peoples’ are being abducted and murdered. The countrymen want to know the identity of the abductors who are picking up and murdering the innocent citizens. They also want to know that who is truly responsible or designated for curbing militancy. The government can never ignore its responsibility. Sudden movement of the government in tackling militancy have raised some logical question among the people, whether the government is using this militancy issue as a trump card to sign defense treaty with India?

We are urging the government to stop this game immediately. The peoples want peace. There is no alternative to national unity for resisting militancy. The crisis with militancy can only be tackled through national unity and establishing rule of law. Militancy can never be resisted by torturing and murdering the innocent peoples. The countrymen really expect that the government would be mobilized by positive intention and honest desire in this regard.”