This afternoon, on Saturday, October 5, a delegation from Jamaat-e-Islami met with the Interim Government’s Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus at his office in the state guest house, Jamuna. After the meeting, the Ameer (leader) of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, briefed the media with a summary of the discussions.
Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said, “We want to inform the nation through you that after 15 and a half years of misrule and bad governance, a change came through a mass uprising on August 5. The general public of the country has welcomed this change.” He added, “We once again congratulate and express our gratitude to those who led this mass uprising, to those who sacrificed their lives, and to those who participated, both within the country and abroad, on behalf of the people and especially my party. We pray for the forgiveness of the souls of those who were killed and have called on the government to ensure proper treatment for those who were injured. We also pray to Allah for their quick recovery.”
He further stated, “Journalists are the conscience of the nation, and the media is the mirror of society. Over the past 15 and a half years, for various reasons, you were unable to act according to your conscience. In many cases, you were forced to confuse the public, favor the government, and publish false and fabricated news. The most persecuted during this time was Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. However, we do not want to dwell on the past.
“We want to contribute to the country’s future aspirations in collaboration with the people and through everyone’s support. What happened in the past, we have left behind. However, we demand that those who have been accused of specific crimes—those who have committed murder, engaged in plundering, laundered money abroad, built empires, and established a reign of terror over the people—be brought to justice. Just as we were oppressed, we do not want them to be oppressed either. We want their dues to be determined through fair justice,” Dr. Shafiqur Rahman remarked.
He added, “We came here today for the sake of the nation. This government is a non-partisan interim government. They are not here to govern the country; they have come to pave the way for smooth governance. Their task is to provide the nation with a fair and peaceful election. Today, we discussed the basic issues they will work on and the reforms they will undertake. We will present our proposals to the nation on the 9th of this month, Insha’Allah. That day, we will share the necessary reforms and our thoughts with the nation. We also discussed the current law and order situation in the country. We have discussed how the government and the people can work together in a spirit of cooperation to improve law and order and how to unite the nation to thwart any conspiracy. We hope that the interim government will take a neutral stance without any bias and take the country to a better place within a specified time. We expect that within a short time, they will be able to deliver a fair election to the nation. We have asked the government for a reasonable period for the reforms. We will soon work out what this reasonable period will be, and this is how we want to move forward.”
Dr. Shafiqur Rahman requested, “We ask you to bring to light the nation’s expectations and to come forward to build a beautiful and just Bangladesh in the coming days, where justice-based society will be established, and no one will be oppressed. You, along with the people of the country, will help us in building a happy and prosperous nation.”
The Jamaat Ameer also mentioned that discussions were held regarding the upcoming Durga Puja. He said that there will be a partnership between the government and the people, and public involvement will be necessary. If the law enforcement agencies and the public work together, he expressed hope that their Hindu brothers and sisters will be able to celebrate an unprecedented Durga Puja.
Several other central leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami were present at the meeting with the Ameer, including Naib-e-Ameer Professor Mujibur Rahman, Dr. Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher, ANM Shamsul Islam, Assistant Secretary General Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan, Maulana Abdul Halim, Central Executive Committee member Saiful Alam Khan Milon, Central Executive Committee member and Secretary of the Publicity and Media Department Advocate Matiur Rahman Akand, Central Executive Committee member and Ameer of Dhaka Metropolitan South Nurul Islam Bulbul, Central Executive Committee member and Ameer of Dhaka Metropolitan North Muhammad Selim Uddin, and Executive Committee member Mubarak Hossain.
