Jamaat accuses govt of double-dealing alleges JCD attacks on Shibir across the country
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar on Friday accused the government of pursuing a contradictory strategy – talking compromise in parliament while allegedly unleashing its student wing against Jamaat’s student body across the country.
Speaking at a ward presidents’ conference of Jamaat in Jhenaidah, Porwar alleged that the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) had carried out attacks on Islami Chhatra Shibir in Chattogram, Cumilla, Pabna and Ishwardi, while also targeting newly-elected leaders of the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU).
“Leaders elected in DUCSU by the votes of 30,000 students have been attacked and tortured like hyenas by Chhatra Dal members,” he said at the event held at Johan Dream Valley Park auditorium in Jhenaidah town.
Hitting back at what he described as a smear campaign against Shibir, Porwar rejected characterisations of the organisation as a clandestine or extremist outfit. “People are being misled through false photo cards, propaganda and rumours against Shibir,” he said.
In a pointed remark apparently directed at certain political figures, he added: “What if the people of the country say that those who returned from abroad after 17 years are the ones who are clandestine? The person who served in the interim government and has now become foreign minister in the new government – he is clandestine.”
He argued that Shibir’s broad acceptance on university campuses across the country was evidence enough of its legitimacy despite sustained propaganda against it.
July Charter Row: ‘Deception Through Dissent’
Porwar also trained his fire on what he called the government’s betrayal of the July Charter – the political agreement that emerged from last year’s mass uprising. He accused the government of signing the charter and then engineering a crisis over its implementation through a “note of dissent.”
He demanded that the July Charter be incorporated into constitutional law, warning that without such a step, Jamaat would continue its agitation both inside and outside parliament. “So long as that does not happen, our struggle will continue in parliament and on the streets,” he said.
Judicial Probe into Election Engineering Demanded
Raising questions about the integrity of the recent elections, Porwar alleged that results had been manipulated through “election engineering,” and said a former influential adviser had himself made similar remarks publicly. He called for a judicial inquiry into the matter.
In a conciliatory note, the Jamaat leader said the opposition was prepared to work alongside the government on pressing issues such as the electricity and energy crisis.
Protests Called for April 25 and May 2
Porwar called on party workers and leaders to participate in protest marches under the 11-party alliance banner – in all metropolitan cities on April 25 and across all district towns on May 2.
The conference was presided over by district Jamaat ameer and MP Ali Azam Muhammad Abu Bakar. MPs Matiar Rahman of Jhenaidah-3 and Abu Taleb of Jhenaidah-4 were among those present, along with Mobarak Hossain, central Jamaat member and regional director for Jashore-Kushtia, who attended as a special guest.
