Jamaat ‘not a party of angels’

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Leader of the Opposition Shafiqur Rahman said on Friday that his party was “not a party of angels,” acknowledging that its leaders and activists were capable of making mistakes.

“We are human beings, and we make mistakes. We have made it clear that wrongdoing and Jamaat-e-Islami cannot go together. But that does not mean we never do anything wrong. We make mistakes, we commit offences and crimes,” he said.

Rahman made the remarks while addressing Dhaka district Jamaat-e-Islami’s half-yearly members’ (Rukon) conference as chief guest at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh (IDEB) auditorium on Friday morning.

He said the party had called on all those who love the country and the nation to come forward and report any wrongdoing or offence committed by its members, pledging that the party would act to correct any such conduct.

Rahman urged party leaders and activists to remain vigilant, saying those holding responsible positions within the organisation needed to exercise even greater caution in their conduct.

Backdrop: MP expelled over “moral misconduct”
The remarks come days after Jamaat-e-Islami expelled Satkhira-4 MP Gazi Nazrul Islam from the party on Wednesday, following widespread discussion after a video involving him began circulating on social media.

The party said the decision was taken at an emergency meeting of its central executive council after an investigation found evidence of “moral misconduct” against the lawmaker. Jamaat subsequently informed the Election Commission of the decision.

Rahman’s comments at Friday’s conference were widely seen as an acknowledgment of the episode, with the Jamaat chief stressing that accountability within the party’s ranks would remain a priority even as it seeks to project discipline and integrity in public life.