Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami amir Shafiqur Rahman on Sunday said that Awami League leaders should be tried under the black laws, they formulated over an extended period.
‘We do not want any injustice and oppression on anyone. Let them [AL leaders] be tried under the black laws they had formulated over a long period,’ he said.
The Jamaat chief made the comment while addressing the member council of Jamaat’s Dhaka north city unit at Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Center in Dhaka’s Sher-e Bangla Nagar area.
He mentioned that the AL leaders used to claim that the law was equal for everyone and that the judiciary was independent.
‘Don’t they deserve the same rights and benefits under equal laws? They should receive what is rightfully theirs to ensure they are not deprived,’ he said.
On October 28, 2006, the humanity and democracy of Bangladesh, the will and aspirations of the people of Bangladesh were slaughtered in the rampage of Logi-Baitha [sticks-oars], said Shafiqur Rahman.
Bangladesh truly lost its way that day. In exchange for many sacrifices for 17 and half years, it got back its own way on August 5, 2024, he said.
‘All the killers from October 28, 2006, to August 5, 2024, will have to be tried,’ he said, adding that the killers of the recent mass movement would have to be tried on a priority basis.
‘Now nobody dares to mention their [Awami League] names. Even their activists do not want to utter the name of their party. Why should we, the oppressed people, mention their names?’ he questioned.
The Jamaat amir said that they [Awami League] had a history of banning their own party. When they had established a one-party system, they banned all parties, including their own. This time people had banned their party with the help of Allah.
‘Being ashamed for their misdeeds and seeking apology to the nation, they could have found a way. Not doing so, they are trying to return in the name of Ansar League, Judiciary League, and this demand league and that demand league.’
‘They are now sending a message to the world that they didn’t allow the rise of extremism in Bangladesh, but there is extremism in Bangladesh as they are no longer in the country,’ the Jamaat chief said.
He said that the biggest extremists were the ones, who gave hammers to their children and helmets on their heads. No bigger extremists and terrorists than them were born in Bangladesh.
‘They committed terrorism. We will not do so. We hate terrorism. We have assured the nation that we will not take any revenge by taking the law into our hands,’ said the Jamaat leader.
He said that Al leaders had made people suffer and tortured them by taking laws into their own hands. ‘We must seek justice for oppression under existing laws.’
Pointing at the leaders and activists, the Jamaat top leader said that they wanted to build a united nation in the future. So, they had to show limitless patience.
