Twenty eminent citizens of the country on Saturday demanded the government start the process to ban Jamaat-e-Islami considering the greater national interest. “As in other countries, there should be no right for the political party that opposed the country’s independence and committed was crimes to do politics,” they said in a statement. The statement, signed by Dr Sarwar Ali, was issued under the banner of Bangladesh Rukhey Darao. The signatories to statement include Prof Salauddin Ahmed, Professor Emeritus Anisuzzaman, Professor Emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury, Dr Akbar Ali Khan, Ajay Roy, Syed Shamsul Haque, Advocate Sultana Kamal, Mohammad Zafar Iqbal, Dr Sarwar Ali, Syed Monjurul Islam and MM Akash. The statement said, “Though a case regarding the registration of Jamaat is under trial, Jamaat will be disqualified to take part in the polls. But, it won’t be banned as a political party if the verdict is delivered in favour of the petitioner. So we’re demanding the government start the process to ban Jamaat-e-Islami considering the national interest.” “Meanwhile, the Jatiya Sangsad brought the party of war criminals under trial by amending International (Tribunals) Act 1973. For the reason a step can be taken to ban Jamaat in the light of four consecutive verdicts by the tribunals,” the statement added. “Tribunals have already declared verdicts on the trial of six top war criminals. In its four consecutive verdicts, the learned judges termed Jamaat an associate criminal organization of Pakistani forces in committing genocide, rape, other crimes against humanity,” it said.
The prominent citizens said Jamaat and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir not only opposed the independence, sovereignty and ideology of the country, but also continued terrorist activities for four decades.
“We think the trial of war criminals is going fairly, independently and transparently. But the evil force has continued their false propaganda both at home and abroad spending huge money against the trial,” the statement added.
-With The Independent input
