We have come to know through the news media that the forces of the Bangladesh government arrested the respected Emir of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, from his residence on December 13 midnight.

Mr. Shafiqur Rahman is a well-known Islamic leader in the international arena. He is associated with many social and charitable organizations in Bangladesh, which are working for the welfare of humanity in Bangladesh. The way he and his team stood by the affected people in the last terrible flood in Bangladesh, the world saw and appreciated it through social media.
We are deeply saddened and worried about the arrest of such a humanitarian and patriotic Islamic leader!

We have come to know through international news media that when all the opposition parties of the country are united in the final movement against the government to establish democracy in Bangladesh, right then the forces loyal to the government arrested Mr. Shafiq accusing him of involvement in terrorism!
How can a man who stands by people in danger, contributes to social development, be involved in terrorism? This is a very ridiculous accusation against a respectable person.
People think that it was done by the authority of Bangladesh to suppress the movement of the combined opposition alliance.

We found out that his name was not even in the initial statement of the case! The government arrested him for purely political reasons.

He is the president of an organization that has fought and is still fighting for the democratic rights of the people of Bangladesh. No one would believe that he would be involved in terrorism as the president of an organization that was established to champion Islamic ideals in the democratic process.

We appeal to the Government of Bangladesh to release Dr. Shafiqur Rahman and all other political prisoners of the opposition coalition soon with dignity, and to respect the democratic rights of all of them.