Jamaat chief accuses government of targeting opposition with ‘character assassination’, propaganda

Opposition Leader and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman on Tuesday accused the government of targeting the opposition with propaganda to conceal its "failures, incompetence and inefficiency", urging it to address those shortcomings instead of continuing what he described as the character assassination of opposition leaders.

“If the government believes it could silence dissent as past autocrats had done, I bring you bad news: that will not happen in Bangladesh again. These people will never accept fascism, and will never bow to it,” he told reporters after meeting former MP Major (retd) Akhtaruzzaman, who was released from jail this morning on bail.

He said organised public resistance had already emerged, would continue and would gain momentum, adding that "a full resolution will come at some point".

Referring to Jamaat-e-Islami leader Akhtaruzzaman, who secured bail in a case filed over allegations of disorder, obstruction of official duties and harassment of a security officer at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Shafiqur said Akhtaruzzaman's protest had substantially reduced irregularities and mismanagement at the airport.

"His protest has worked one hundred per cent," he said, adding that ordinary passengers and expatriates were now benefiting from the changes.

He described the case against Akhtaruzzaman as baseless, saying, "Our colleague did not lay a hand on anyone." He rejected allegations that the former MP had obstructed government work or touched an official, calling them "completely false".

Referring to the suspension of two airport staff members on the day of the incident, Shafiqur questioned why they had been suspended if no wrongdoing had taken place.

He said Akhtaruzzaman had raised concerns over the shortage of luggage trolleys, which passengers had to scramble for "like a lottery". Since then, 300 new trolleys have been added in two phases, which, Shafiqur said, amounted to an acknowledgement of the shortcomings identified by the former MP.

He added that Akhtaruzzaman had also spoken out against bag-cutting and luggage theft, and that ground-handling staff now wore body cameras. Passengers, he said, were now receiving their luggage within 15 to 20 minutes.

"Thank you, Major Akhtaruzzaman," said the Jamaat ameer.

Shafiqur said a "false and shameful" case had been filed against a freedom fighter, who was subsequently taken on remand. A lower court denied him bail, he said, while Akhtaruzzaman was taken to court blindfolded and wearing a helmet and a safety vest.

He alleged that the authorities had lacked the courage to grant him bail even then. After the matter reached the High Court, he said, it was "cowardly" referred to the chamber judge.

"It is all shameful, shame at every turn, great shame," he said. "But those who should feel shame do not."

Recalling his own time in prison, he told Akhtaruzzaman, "We served long years in jail and protested a great deal, but did not get immediate results. You did."

He said an attempt had been made to cage "a voice of the past" by keeping Akhtaruzzaman in custody for a month, but questioned how long anyone could be detained.

"You could not keep him, and will not be able to," he said, adding that their struggle would continue until people's rights were restored to them.