Friday, July 30, 2010

Fwd: [bangla-vision] Fw: [Shah Abdul Hannan] Press statement of Jamaate Islami on constitution, war crime and other issues



On Fri, Jul 30, 2010 at 11:40 PM, kazi Mohammad Ismail <kazimohammadismail@yahoo.com> wrote:
 



--- On Fri, 7/30/10, S A Hannan <sahannan@sonarbangladesh.com> wrote:

From: S A Hannan <sahannan@sonarbangladesh.com>
Subject: [Shah Abdul Hannan] Press statement of Jamaate Islami on constitution, war crime and other issues
To: sahannan@yahoogroups.com, sahannan2004@yahoo.co.in, "'Abdul Wahid Osman Belal'" <awobelal@yahoo.co.uk>, "'Isha Khan'" <bdmailer@gmail.com>
Date: Friday, July 30, 2010, 1:44 AM

 

 

 

 

 

From: Bangladesh Jamaat-e-islami [mailto:info@ jamaat-e- islami.org]

Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 9:24 AM

Subject: Press statement of Jamaate Islami on constitution, war crime and other issues

 

 

 

Press Release

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami acting secretary general ATM Azharul Islam

said, the arrest of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Amir and former

Industries Minister Maolana Matiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary General

and former Social Welfare Minister Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid and

Nayeb-e-Amir Maolana Delwar Hossain Saidee on June 29 in a false case

filed by a government-sympathi ser quarter in connection with hurting

the religious sentiment is politically motivated.

After the arrest, they were produced on June 30 before CMM court which

granted them bail. In spite of the bail the government has shown them

arrested in some other false cases hastily lodged against them and

they are being persecuted in the police remand. They are not even

allowed to have better treatment.

After the first round of arrest of the Jamaat trio , police nabbed

Assistant Secretaries General Muhammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Kader

Molla when they went to High Court on July 13 for bail in a false case

pressed against them. Fresh cases are being pressed against them and they are being persecuted in  the name of police remand. On July 25 International Crimes Tribunal prosecution cell issued warrant for arrest of Maolana Matiur Rahman Nizami, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid, Muhammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul

Kader Molla. The tribunal led by its chairman Justice Md Nizamul Huq

issued the warrant against Jamaat-e-Islami leaders on July 26. The

Charges of murder, rape, robbery, arson and other crimes such as forming Al

Badar, Razakar, Al Shams were framed against them by prosecution

cell chief Golam Arif Tipu are not true. We denounce the allegations

and vehemently protest against the blatant lie. Today we thank you for

giving a patient hearing to our standpoint on allegations of war

crimes or crime against humanity, taking a little pain.

He said this while speaking at a press briefing at the central office

of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on July 28. The briefing was attended

among others by Assistant Secretary General Prof Mujibur Rahman, Press

Secretary Prof Tasnim Alam, Central Working Committee member and

Jamaat Dhaka city unit secretary Hamidur Rahman Azad, MP, Central

Working Committee member Principal Izzat Ullah, Adv Jasim Uddin

Sircar, Dr Syed Abdullah Md Taher, Assistant Press Secretary Matiur

Rahman Akand Jamaat Dhaka city unit assistant secretaries Nurul Islam

Bulbul and Maolana Abdul Halim.

ATM Azharul Islam said, the Razakar (Al Badar, Al Shams) was formed

under the auspices of Pakistan government and the order was issued by the then cabinet  secretary Golam Ishaq Khan, promulgating an ordinance. Members were appointed to Razakar foce under the auspices of  CO, OC, Municipal Chairman and Union Parishad Chairman,there was drum beating for recruitment and CO and OC selected the members from interested candidates .They recommended to the  district magistrate and superintendent of police. So in the Razakar formation process Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Sangha had no connections and none of the central Jamaat leaders were on the list of govt's Razakar gazette published by the Pakistan govt. It was none of the business of Jamaat. Razakar was formed, funded and managed by the then government.

So holding Jamaat leaders responsible for the formation of the

collaborator forces is quite unfounded and illogical. It is also an

injustice to Jamaat for the wrongs done during the War of Independence

in 1971.He said the allegations of murder, rape, robbery, arson, war crimes

and crimes against humanity brought against Jamaat quartet by the

prosecution cell of International Crime Tribunal are completely false

and fabricated. The false allegations were brought only to tarnish

their political image.He said, the so-called war crime trial is nothing but a travesty of justice and the contentious issue was settled long before. It is apparent from the initiatives of govt in the name of bringing the war

criminals to book.This is nothing but  an attempt to launch attack on one of

the main opposition parties like  Jamaat-e-Islami, aiming at debilitating the possible opposition from the organisation. Even some ministers calling

the Jamaat leaders as war criminals publicly long before the framing

of the war crime charge. The trial is staged only to pave the way for

the hegemonist and expansionist powers and their conspiracies to work

in the country, weeding out a patriotic and politically organised

camp.

State minister for law Adv Kamrul Islam at a 14-party meeting at

Dhanmondi on March 19 last said that Maolana Matiur Rahman Nizami,

Delwar Hossain Saidee and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid will be tried

first as the war criminals. At the same meeting Awami League joint

general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said, 'Nizami and Mojahid will

be hanged first'. Their statements before the framing of charges

against these leaders corroborate that the trial will a travesty of

justice in line with conspiracies hatched earlier.

He said, on February 24 a team of ministers and state ministers, led

by law minister Shafique Ahmed visited old High Court building where

special tribunal was set up to try the so-called war criminals. The

team was accompanied by Sector Commanders' Forum leader Lt Gen Harunur

Rashid and the Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee general secretary Kazi

Mukul. Ministers can visit the tribunal site but how can the sector

commanders' forum and Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee leaders accompany

them as they are party to this and dead against Jamaat. So we have

reasons to believe that the war crime trialis merely a drama  and is going

to be staged to weaken the political opponents.

He said, we want to state  that none of the Jamaat leaders were

involved in war crimes therefore there lies no scope to link Jamaat

leaders with war crimes. On January 1972 Collaborator Act was

promulgated and around one lakh so-called collaborators  were rounded up.

Allegations against 36,623 over 37, 471 collaborators could not be

proved due to lack of available data. Only 2,848 of the arrested were

brought to trial. Charges were pressed against  752 crime suspects and none

of the Jamaat leaders was included in the list. On November 30 in 1973

the then President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman granted a general amnesty for

all except those who were involved in rape, arson, looting and

killing. And none of the Jamaat activists was involved in such

heinous crimes and no allegation was brought against the leaders of

Jamaat-e-Islami during the one a half-year rule of Awami League

following the amnesty. Not only that no case even a First Information

Report (FIR) was not lodged with any police station in the country which

bears the testimony to their no-link to war crime.

 All of you know from 1996 to 2001 Awami League didn't initiate to try

the war criminals and from 1983 to 1990 we launched coordinated

movement with BNP and AL against the then military despot H M Ershad.

In 1983 till 1990 Jamaat-e-Islami with BNP and AL took to the streets

demanding introduction of caretaker govt to the constitution and Awami

League used to consider Jamaat as their ally and also a democratic

force. Jamaat, Awami League and the Jatiya Party launched allied

movement for caretaker govt. Then Jamaat was a democratic force to

Awami League but when for a coalition government in 1991 Awami League

sent a delegation to Prof Golam Azam, seeking support of

Jamaat-e-Islami, which couldn't agree on the proposal. When AL came to

power in 1996 a 4-party alliance led by BNP was forged not only to

launch movement against the misrule of the govt but also to form a

4-party government if wins in election. Jamaat's joining with the

alliance annoyed AL seriously. People think as the party previously

annoyed, wants to take revenge on Jamaat, so it has set up a tribunal

to hold trial of its leaders' as war criminals.

 He said, crimes against Humanity means any of the following acts when

committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack, with knowledge

of the attack:  murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation,

imprisonment, abduction, confinement, torture, rape or other inhumane

acts committed against any civilian population or persecutions on

political, racial, ethnic or religious grounds, whether or not in

violation of the domestic law of the country where perpetrated. Jamaat

didn't join the war it merely had a different political outlook. So as

per the International law not Jamaat leaders but 195 Pakistan army

officers were held responsible for war crime but all of these Pakistan

Army officers were later released and were not tried for war crime. They were granted amnesty by founder president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who later

sent all army officers back to Pakistan . It would be a great injustice

if Jamaat leaders are hanged though they didn't even join the war and

take up arms.

 The acting Secretary General  said, a section has launched a propaganda war against Jamaat on the basis of old newspaper cuttings, stories on War of Independence and the video clips made by the section as per their whims after long 39 years. Now our question is can some story books, newspaper reports and some video clippings made on their own be document for trial. In

no country a court considers such paper clippings as the documents.

He said, the Jamaat leaders, whose images the ruling quarter is trying

to tarnish, didn't flee the country after 1971 but rather stayed in

the country, took part in parliamentary polls and had been

representing people in the Parliament soon after the birth of the

nation. A few of them became ministers and served the nation. Not only

national govt Jamaat leaders also have been serving  the common people being elected in local government elections as chairmen and members. If they

had committed crime against humanity people wouldn't have voted them

to power as their representatives. There is no single example of a war

criminal being a people's representative. The example of Tokyo and

Nuremberg trial is cited but those of the war criminals of the World

War II hanged there were all army personnel. They committed war crime

and went into hiding till they were pinned down. Those who are still

at large are being hunted down. So there are no similarities between

the Tokyo and Nuremberg War Crime Tribunal and the Dhaka Special

Tribunal set up by Awami League govt. Rather it is tantamount to

squeezing a confession of crime from one who wasn't at all involved in

the crime.

 He said, the process initiated to try the so-called war criminals

appears to the countrymen that the judges of the tribunal, public

prosecutor, plaintiff, witness sing the same song and undoubtedly they

were  picked as they are pro-Awami League and also anti-Jamaat. The way

the list of so-called war criminals made and publicized seems to be

pre-conceived and  with ill-intent. Now the war crime drama

will be merely staged as the conscious citizens of the country guess

that verdict is also predetermined and the only thing remains

unaccomplished is handing down the verdict and hanging  the

political preys. If the trial is being held flouting the international

laws and ethics it will turn into a complete farce, which will not be

accepted by communities at home and abroad. The false trial will be

nothing but a travesty of truth, creating the greatest tragedy of our time.

 He said, even the special tribunal formed under 1973 Act has already

been called into question by the international community. Meanwhile

War Crimes Committee of the International Bar Association has raised

17 objections to the 1973 Act. It may be mentioned here that the

committee, which comprises 20 members, includes Yugoslavia

International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Justice Richard

Goldstone.

 He said, the present political unrest, economy slump with  no

investment, skyrocketing of prices of essentials, deterioration in law

and order have almost unnerved the people. People feel quite unsafe

due to downslide in law and order situation. Unethical activities and

violence are prevailing on educational campuses. Ruling party

activists are engaged in various terrorist activities including tender

snatching, stealing, hijacking, robbery, admission business, killing

political opponents, extortion even 'women students are used to

satisfy the leaders' etc, creating an anarchic atmosphere throughout

the country. We expected that govt would concentrate on people's

welfare activities but in place of that govt has resorted to

arresting, grilling and torturing the activists of Jamaat and Shibir,

aiming at unstabilising the country's political arena. Police has

netted more than 3000 activists including Shibir leader Golam Murtaza

on July. Police in plain clothes arrested not only Murtaza but also

BNP leader Chowdhury Alam whose whereabouts is still unknown to his

family and the people. Government wants to rewind the constitution of

1972 with an aim to ban Islamic movements in the country and thus

causing a political vacuum in the country. Govt is also muddying the

waters by rewinding the settled issues of 39 years back, pushing the

country on the brink of anarchy.

 He said, we are bound to say that a farce in the trial of war

criminals is going to be staged, aiming at dismantling Jamaat. We will

go on facing the govt both in court and in the street peacefully and

democratically inshaAllah. We will take up the challenge of

undemocratic and tyrannical course adopted by the govt to reign in the

Jamaat-e-Islami with the people of all strata particularly the Islamic

parties, Islamic scholars, Peers, students, labourers and the

peace-loving people at large to forge movement.

 Demanding unconditional release of leaders and activists of Jamaat

and others, assurance of uninterrupted supply of gas, water,

electricity, reigning in the price hike, upholding the sanctity of the

holy Ramadan and in protest at the police atrocities, deterioration of

law and order Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami announces the following

programmes.

 Programmes:

1. Demonstrations will be staged across the country on July 29

demanding the release of Jamaat amir and former minister Maolana

Matiur Rahman Nizami, nayeb-e-amir Maolana Delwar Hossain Saidee,

secretary general and former minister Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid,

assistant secretaries general Muhammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Kader

Molla and other leaders and activists.

2. Praying for the release of the leaders and activists of the

Opposition on  July 30 (doa day).

3. Demanding the release of Jamaat and other opposition leaders and

activists, rallies and mass contact  will held across the country

on August 4, 5, 6.

4. To press home the demands of curbing the slide in law and order,

containing the price hike, ensuring supply of gas, water and

electricity and upholding the sanctity of the holy Ramadan rallies and

protest processions will be organised in the country on August 8 and

10.

He said, we urge leaders and activists of city, district, upazilla,

and thana to extend cooperation to stage demo, hold rallies and bring

out demonstrations to make the agenda grand success.

 

Professor Tasnim Alam

Press Secretary

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami


__._,_.___



--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/

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