NEWS ANALYSIS
A joke indeed
Jamaat-e-Islami sprang quite a surprise when it accused the ruling Awami League of conspiring to turn Bangladesh into Pakistan.
Many find it amusing since the accuser is the party that collaborated with the Pakistani occupation forces in 1971 to massacre Bangalees, and the accused is the party that led the Liberation War.
At a press briefing on Friday, Jamaat's acting secretary general ATM Azharul Islam said the government is plotting to turn the country into Pakistan. It is persecuting the opposition leaders and workers like dictator Ayub Khan did in the then Pakistan.
His remarks belie his party's usual line of rhetoric. Known for its anti-Indian diatribes and politics playing on people's religious sentiment, Jamaat has always accused AL of being subservient to India.
It has hardly ever criticised anything Pakistani in the last 40 years.
Until 2008, this religion-based party, founded in Pakistan in 1941, used to be called Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh. Some political analysts observe that Jamaat had chosen to be named that way because it still considered itself a branch of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan.
However, it renamed itself Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami before registration with the Election Commission during the Fakhruddin Ahmed-led caretaker government rule.
In 1971, Jamaat not only opposed the country's Liberation War but also joined forces with the Pakistan army, which killed three million Bangalees and raped more than a quarter million women.
During the war, Jamaat used to describe Awami League and freedom fighters as "Bharoter Char" (Indian agent), "Bharoter Dalal" (Indian stooge), "Hindu," and "enemy of Islam." It has used the same invectives against AL and other secular forces over the last four decades.
In 1971, its former ameer Ghulam Azam said, "Pakistan is the house of Islam for the world Muslims. Therefore, Jamaat activists don't justify being alive should Pakistan disintegrate."
Jamaat's incumbent ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami, who was the chief of Islami Chhatra Sangha, the party's student wing in 1971, said, "Sacred land Pakistan is the home of Allah for establishing His rules."
Measured against Jamaat's historic allegiance to Pakistan, its acting secretary general's comments on Friday are nothing but hypocritical, say researchers and political analysts.
Noted educationist and writer Muhammed Zafar Iqbal told The Daily Star, "Jamaat always lies. They always cheat and confuse people in the name of religion. This is yet another example of their hypocrisy."
Prof Muntasir Mamun, an academician and political analyst, said Jamaat as an organisation has been shattered since the process of war crimes trial began.
"At present, there's no chain of command in their party. Many of their leaders are scared…out of their mind and talking rubbish," said Mamun, also a freedom fighter.
Talking to The Daily Star about his remarks, Jamaat's acting secretary general Azharul said he was just pointing out the "similarities between the Ayub regime and the present Awami League government in terms of torture on people".
The Ayub Khan government in the then Pakistan, he observed, used to oppress people through various black laws. They even repressed people in the name of anti-adulteration drive.
"We won freedom from Pakistan and built an independent country so that people get justice. But this government [AL government] is resorting to black laws like the then Pakistani ruler did to oppress the opposition leaders and workers," added Azharul.
"What's the difference between the then Pakistani ruler and the present Bangladeshi ruler?" he asked.
The irony is that Jamaat has never criticised the barbaric acts of the Pakistani rulers and the occupation forces. It also has not yet apologised to the nation for its own heinous role during the Liberation War.
When Azharul's attention was drawn that Jamaat leaders always portray Awami League as the party dedicated to serving the interests of India, he said his party did not mention India's name while criticising AL in the past.
His statement, however, does not add up. On plenty of occasions in the past decades, Jamaat described AL as "Indian agent" and warned the public, "Awami League will sell Bangladesh if it comes to power."
Even a few months back, on April 7, in a press release, it said, "This [AL-led grand alliance] government has given up country's interests to India after assuming power with the blessings of imperialist forces."
People of Banagladesh should not give a wholesale license to the Awami League to arrest, torture and harass the Islamic minded leaders on mostly false charges (repeating what happened in 1972-74). To get suport from big brothers many observers suspect that it is in fact a deliberate effort by AL to keep a fictitious 'war on terror' alive in Bangladesh to solicit and maintain Indo-US-Israeli support.
Current state:
AL agenda is to bring misary to 160 million people, majority of people are poor, they need honest public servents to serve, guide and help. Most Public servets are bing appointed from AL or forced to serve only people actively AL or those can bribe. Local Al party members are benefiting from Govt. fund that allocated for development. They are all Mr/Ms. %.
Majority people want food on the table and economic freedom.
Please keep in mind...
Islam is not terror....
Bangladesh is 3rd largest Muslim country with 90%.....
Muslim happens to respect Minority rights (all period 1947-now).....
Govt. never should involve in minority rights since when it's comes to society all live togather. Majority should be differentiate minority in terms of civil rights.
-------------- Democracy and respect --------------------
Jammat is like any other party..does not have any family affiliation...but religious minded people
they were always anti-seperation (they did not want seperate Pakistan from India nor a seperate Bangladesh from Pakistan).
BNP is a party of all but with a family affiliation like AL. (Family is above national interest)
AL is party of seperating Bangladesh from Pakistan with a solid family affiliation. (family is above national interest)
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To: notun_bangladesh@yahoogroups.com; khabor@yahoogroups.com; chottala@yahoogroups.com; SonarBangladesh@yahoogroups.com
From: Syed.Aslam3@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 8 Oct 2011 19:06:26 -0400
Subject: [chottala.com] Closing old wounds: Jamaat's vicious role in the 1971 war
In a landmark move, Bangladesh is finally seeking closure for the atrocities it suffered during the 1971 war for the liberation of East Pakistan. The war crimes tribunal, which was constituted by the government almost a year ago to investigate and bring to book all those who participated in the large-scale genocide of some three million people in East Pakistan, has pressed charges against its first accused. A senior leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh, a main opposition party, Delawar Hossain Sayedee has been charged on 20 counts that include crimes against humanity, rape, torture and genocide. As can be expected, Sayedee has denied these allegations and followers of the Jamaat have taken to the streets to voice their protest. While the verdict may take months in coming, what is important is that the first steps towards some sort of justice for the many victims of 1971's nationalist war are finally being taken.
What was the Jamaat's role in the 1971 war? To aid the Pakistan army's crackdown, it formed paramilitary wings called Al-Badr and Al-Shams to fight the Bangladesh Liberation Army (Mukti Bahini). These wings contributed immensely to the killing spree against intellectuals and activists. As if the Pakistan army were not vicious enough, these haywire groups added more fuel to the bloodshed and carnage. It is for these crimes and many like them that Sayedee has been charged; many more like him are expected to be indicted on similar charges.
It has taken Bangladesh some 40 years to take such a step to address the wounds of the past, despite there being Awami League governments in its history, but it is finally looking towards a future that has left this bitterness behind. The establishment of this tribunal marked the beginning of what is sure to be a lengthy legal process, one that is not without its detractors. The tribunal is an indigenous one, without any UN or other international oversight. Hence, it is being called partisan by some quarters. The fact that it exists at all deserves it to be credited as a body that is looking towards settling accounts with the past.
Pakistan could learn a thing or two from Bangladesh. The atrocities perpetrated against East Pakistan are a blot on our national conscience. Not only did they result in the obliteration of united Pakistan, Pakistan has seen history repeating itself within its own borders in Balochistan. The war crimes the Baloch are being subjected to ought to wring Pakistan out of its stupor if we do not wish to see a repeat of 1971. *
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