Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has stated that all murders committed during the authoritarian Awami League regime, including the July-August mass uprising massacre, must be brought to justice before elections take place.
“We do not believe in revenge. However, we certainly seek justice for these atrocities. Our stance is clear: all murders must be prosecuted. In particular, the genocide of 2024 must be put on trial. Justice must come first, then other matters,” he remarked while addressing a workers’ meeting at the Cox’s Bazar Government College ground in the town on Saturday.
The event was chaired by District Jamaat Ameer Nur Ahmad Anowari.
“If the perpetrators of these murders are not brought to justice, it will be a betrayal of the souls of the martyrs. We cannot betray those who won us freedom and granted us the right to speak with honour and dignity,” he added.
Shafiqur Rahman, during the event, paid tribute to the students who led the mass uprising to remove Sheikh Hasina’s authoritarian government.
Referring to the Awami League, the Jamaat ameer described them as “essentially robbers.”
“They have looted the country’s wealth, seized people’s land, violated their dignity, and deprived them of their homes. We demand justice for all their misdeeds.”
He further asserted that no one should be harmed due to provocation by others, saying, “Even if there is a single criminal among us, we will hand them over to the law. However, I also insist that judges must not commit injustices under the guise of law.”
Shafiqur Rahman urged people to support honest candidates in the upcoming elections, promising that if elected, they would ensure good governance, justice, and equitable development. He called for a victory for Jamaat-e-Islami candidates in all four constituencies of Cox’s Bazar.
Meanwhile, speaking at a programme at Moktarpara field in Netrokona town on Saturday, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar emphasised that reforms and election preparations must proceed simultaneously.
“Before the next parliamentary elections, the dictatorial murderer Sheikh Hasina, her cronies, and criminals should be trialled by the International Crimes Tribunal, and only then should elections be held,” he stated.
Golam Parwar stressed that in order to hold a transparent, participatory, and credible election, necessary reforms in the electoral system must be carried out first, and Sheikh Hasina and her associates must be brought to justice.
Bd-pratidin English/Fariha Nowshin Chinika
