Jamaat smells ‘pro-fascist elements’ in govt

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar on Friday alleged that a section within the government, including what he described as “pro-fascist elements” hiding in the administration, is encouraging the banned
Awami League to return to the country and resume political activities.

Porwar made the allegation while responding to questions from journalists after attending the inaugural session of a two-day educational camp for members of the Jhenaidah district Jamaat working committee, held at the party office around 11:30am.

Questioning how a banned party could organise street activities unnoticed, he said, “When a country has a government, intelligence agencies, police administration and other security agencies in place, how can a party whose political activities have been banned hold processions in Gulshan and Dhanmondi in the capital and in districts across the country?”

He argued that such processions could not have taken place without the knowledge, or tacit approval, of state machinery.

“It cannot be that the government, civil administration and intelligence agencies knew nothing about it.
A banned political party cannot hold processions across the country without their signals or indications,” he added.

Turning to the country’s security situation, Porwar alleged that Sheikh Hasina – whom he described as a convicted killer sentenced to death and a fugitive from the country – was putting Bangladesh’s security at risk by issuing statements to the media from Delhi.

“The support she is receiving from there is a threat to Bangladesh. The Delhi government itself is a threat to the country’s security,” he said, adding that he saw no internal security threat in the country apart from this.

He characterised India’s conduct regarding Hasina as “unethical in terms of an independent foreign policy.”

Addressing the opposition’s role in tackling the fuel crisis and public hardship, Porwar said Jamaat had submitted 38 written proposals to the government to address the issue, none of which were accepted.

He said the opposition had also formed an informal shadow cabinet whose suggestions went similarly unheeded, prompting the party to organise protest processions in metropolitan cities against the sudden rise in fuel prices to convey its position to the government.

Porwar reserved some of his sharpest remarks for BNP, responding to earlier comments from State Minister Mir Shahe Alam by rejecting suggestions that Jamaat was “ungrateful.”

“Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is not ungrateful; BNP is ungrateful,” he said. “They could not have formed the government in 2001 without Jamaat’s support. But they deprived Jamaat of all opportunities and benefits.”

He went on to accuse BNP of corruption and of spreading false allegations against his party.

“No Jamaat-e-Islami leader or activist engages in money laundering or corruption. Having nothing to say about the opposition, BNP is spreading false hatred.

The corruption they are committing has surpassed all previous records. The people of the country have become fed up with their land grabbing and extortion,” he said.

Jamaat Central Assistant Secretary General Maulana Abdul Halim, Director of the Jashore-Kushtia region Mobarak Hossain, Jhenaidah district unit President Ali Azam Mohammad Abu Bakar, Kushtia MP Amir Hamza, and leaders and activists from different levels of the party were also present at the event.