Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Acting Secretary General Maulana ATM Masum has issued the following statement on 18th August 2023 protesting and condemning the issuance of 7 years of imprisonment against veteran journalist Shafiq Rehman and Daily Amar Desh’s Acting Editor Mahmudur Rahman.

A Dhaka court on last 17th August 2023 has ordered five people, including journalist Shafiq Rehman and acting editor of Daily Amar Desh newspaper Mahmudur Rahman, to be jailed for seven years in the case of conspiracy to abduct and kill Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's son and her IT advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy. Mr. Shafiq Rehman and Mahmudur Rahman, both are courageous journalist. They are very active and vocal against the unjust activities of the incumbent fascist government and this is why, they are being convicted as a part of the authority’s vengeance and heinous conspiracy. We are vehemently condemning the incident.

I am urging the concerned authorities to cancel the conviction which have been issued against Shafiq Rehman and Mahmudur Rahman and also to withdraw this false case immediately.