11 March 2020, Wed, 8:50

50 leaders and activists arrested from Natore; Secretary General condemns

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Secretary General and former lawmaker Professor Mia Golam Porwar has issued the following statement on 11 March 2020 protesting and condemning the arrest of 50 leaders and activists from Natore district.

“The countrymen are suffering from severe panic due to outbreak of corona virus worldwide. Jamaat-e-Islami and Chhatrashibir had issued statement earlier to create awareness in this regard and urged the countrymen to offer prayer on next Friday.

Jamaat-e-Islami and Chhatrashibir are arranging discussion and distributing leaflets to get rid of corona virus. As a part of the same program, a mass awareness program was organized in Natore on 10 March.

Some 50 leaders and activists of these organizations participated in this program. Former Natore district Jamaat Ameer Professor Belaluzzaman addressed the program on Quran-Hadith issue. Police arrested those 50 activists from that program. Later, police issued a statement about the detention process. It was said in the statement that, “The detainees had been gathered there to create anarchy and subversive activities. Besides, huge amounts of Islamic books were recovered from the spot.

The law enforcers filed a case against the detainees in connection with 1974 special power act. Of the detainees, 17 are adolescents and as such they were sent to the Jessore prison under the children act. Most of the detainees, are examinee of HSC and Madrasa board exams.

Professor Belaluzzaman is a heart patient. He left side of the body is paralyzed. He cannot move alone. Ironically, he has been detained for being involved with subversive activities, which is ridiculous.

The authority has made an injustice by arresting 50 leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and Chhatrashibir unreasonably. Such an oppression is really regrettable during a period when the entire nation is being fearful of corona virus. I am severely protesting and condemning the incident. Besides, I am urging the authorities concerned to release all the detainees, particularly the examinees immediately.