Disagreements with Jamaat must be resolved for sustainable alliance: Islami Andolan

Disagreements between Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Andolan Bangladesh must be resolved to build a sustainable alliance, said the latter’s Nayeb-e-Ameer Mufti Syed Muhammad Faizul Karim. 

“We will not engage in politics that disregards Islamic values,” he said at a rally organised by Islami Chhatra Andolan in Shahbagh today (30 August).

Addressing the current interim government, he said a new education commission must be formed, comprising Islamic scholars and intellectuals. 

“No syllabus can ignore the thoughts and beliefs of 92% of the population. Any curriculum that goes against Islamic principles will not be accepted.” said Faizul. 

He further said future Bangladesh will be free from discrimination, ensuring equal rights for all. “We don’t want a divided Bangladesh. We want every citizen of Bangladesh to have equal opportunities.”

Mufti Rezaul Karim said Bangladesh is now 53 years into its independence but those in power all these years have failed to meet the people’s expectations and have turned the country into a “champion of corruption”. 

“Over the last 15 years, stepping outside meant facing murder, and staying indoors could lead to abduction. We have lived in an independent country, but in reality, we weren’t truly free,” he said.

He warned that everyone must ensure that this free Bangladesh does not become subjugated. “Since 5 August, certain groups have resumed extortion and land grabbing like the fallen autocrats.” 

He also lauded Islami Chhatra Andolan for guarding temples, churches, and pagodas and managing traffic on the streets 5 August. 

Faizul Karim said the Hasina government failed to resolve the Teesta River issue with India. Instead, India has constructed the Farakka Dam and floods Bangladesh with excess water every year.

“There is also a conspiracy to turn 92% of Bangladeshis into atheists,” he added.

The rally was held to protest “India’s water aggression and demanding justice for mass murder during the anti-autocracy movement.”