Govt set to ban Jamaat-Shibir

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Dhaka: Political 14-party combine makes unanimous recommendation. The Awami League-led 14-party alliance yesterday unanimously recommended banning Jamaat-e-Islami and pro-Jamaat student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir for their alleged involvement in anti-state activities.

The alliance made the unanimous recommendation at a meeting at the Gono Bhaban, presided over by AL President Sheikh Hasina.

Hasina, also the prime minister, assured the ruling party’s partners that her government will implement their recommendation at the earliest.

Earlier in 2018, the Election Commission scrapped the registration of Jamaat as a political party, making it unable to contest elections.

 

 

At the beginning of the meeting, Hasina branded BNP-Chhatra Dal and Jamaat-Shibir as militants, saying they put their claws into Bangladesh to stop its development journey, reports UNB.

“The incidents occurring in the country are not a political matter. Rather, they are the acts of militants, aimed at destroying Bangladesh.”

She also dismissed the notion that the recent unrest was related to the quota reform movements and attributed it instead to malicious intent.

“Their ill motives were visible; quota reform was not an issue at all.”

According to sources, the Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon; Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President Hasanul Haque Inu; Tariqat Federation Chairman Syed Nazibul Bashar Maizbhandari; Samyabadi Dal General Secretary Dilip Barua; and Jatiya Party (Manju) General Secretary Sheikh Shahidul Islam were present at the meeting.

Afterwards, AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader said, “The 14-party unanimously recommended the banning of Jamaat-Shibir politics. Jamaat-Shibir is hatching conspiracies to render the country a failed state.”

According to sources, some members of the 14-party combine said the government should not lift the ongoing curfew until the situation is normal again, and suggested  the armed forces remain deployed for at least another month, even if the curfew is lifted.

Earlier, on the recommendation of the alliance, the government on July 20 imposed the nationwide curfew and deployed armed forces to assist the civil administration in ensuring national security and protecting lives and properties following the unrest centring the quota reform movement.

JP General Secretary Sheikh Shahidul Islam yesterday urged the government to reopen educational institutions in phases, adding the  ongoing HSC examinations should be completed as soon as possible, meeting sources said.

Rashed Khan Menon and Hasanul Haque Inu, at the meeting, said the ruling party and government high-ups should be careful while making public statements.

They mentioned Obaidul Quader’s statement on Sunday that there was “a conspiracy to occupy Gono Bhaban in a manner similar to the events in Sri Lanka, had the curfew not been imposed”.

They opined that such remarks may lessen the confidence of the people in the government. The prime minister endorsed their opinion.

Quader, who was at the meeting, claimed he did not say it in that manner and the media misquoted him.

Menon then pointed out the photo of the six detained protest organisers eating at the DB office, saying that such activities by a government official carries a wrong message to the people, adding that a political crisis should be dealt with by the politicians, said insiders.

People do not trust political solutions given by bureaucrats and the statement made by the protesters from the DB office is nothing but a mockery, sources quoted him as saying.

Hasina assured that action would be taken against the Additional Commissioner (DB) of DMP Harun Or Rashid, who is also at the helm of the Detective Branch.