Assistant Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan said that Jamaat-e-Islami will not hand over the country to terrorists and extortionists. He declared that Jamaat-e-Islami, along with the people, will resist terrorists, extortionists, corrupt individuals, murderers, rapists, looters, and those who create anarchy.

He said, “The people have united against Awami fascism and brought an end to Sheikh Hasina’s tyrannical rule. After Sheikh Hasina fled, people became confident that no one would have to lose their lives at the hands of terrorists anymore, no one would have to pay extortion. But now, we see that another group, just like the Awami League, has emerged—committing acts of terrorism and extortion. They are brutally killing their own party members. Though they claim to want elections every day, they remain silent against terrorism and extortion. That is because the terrorists, extortionists, rapists, and murderers are nurtured by them.”

He made these remarks as the chief guest during a protest rally organized by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dhaka South City unit, held on Saturday (12 July) at noon in front of the North Gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. The rally was in protest of the brutal murder in Mitford and similar incidents of killing, rape, and terrorism across the country, demanding the arrest and punishment of the perpetrators.

Rafiqul Islam Khan said, “The interim government was not installed to make a mockery of the nation. They must remember that they did not seize power themselves—people placed them in power. If they cannot protect people’s lives, property, and dignity, they should step down.”

Commenting that terrorism and extortion should not be affiliated with any political party, Rafiqul Islam Khan emphasized, “Regardless of how powerful a terrorist or extortionist leader may be, regardless of which party they belong to, they must be arrested.”

The protest rally, presided over by Md. Nurul Islam Bulbul, Central Executive Committee Member and Ameer of Dhaka South City of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, featured several speakers including Central Majlis-e-Shura members and Dhaka City Assistant Secretaries Delawar Hossain and Mohammad Kamal Hossain. Among others present were Central Majlis-e-Shura members and Dhaka South Assistant Secretaries Dr. Abdul Mannan and Shamsur Rahman. In addition, members of the City’s Executive Committee and Shura, as well as various Thana-level Ameers, Secretaries, and other leaders were in attendance.

In his presidential address, Nurul Islam Bulbul said, “Instead of engaging in nation-building after the fall of the regime on August 5, one particular party has resorted to extortion, terrorism, muggings, rape, and creating chaos. They continue to declare that the country’s condition will worsen if elections are not held quickly, and under this pretext, they are deliberately fostering lawlessness through organized extortion, terrorism, rape, and killings. Yet they do not speak against the terrorists, the extortionists, the rapists, or the murderers; rather, they side with them.”

Calling on political actors to refrain from using extortion and terrorism as a means to cross the “electoral river,” he said, “No one can reach power or cross the electoral hurdles by relying on terrorists and extortionists. The people will not hand over the country to any group of terrorists or extortionists in the future.”

He urged the government to adopt a zero-tolerance policy against terrorists, extortionists, drug dealers, rapists, and murderers in order to improve the country’s law-and-order situation.

After the rally, a protest march was held in condemnation of the brutal murder in Mitford and similar acts of killing, rape, and terrorism across the country. The demonstrators demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators. The procession began at the north gate of Baitul Mukarram Mosque, proceeded past the National Press Club, and concluded at Shahbagh.