Assistant Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan has issued the following statement on 12 September 2019 protesting and condemning the unjust arrest of 36 Jamaat leaders and activists from a discussion program held in Gopalpur under Tangail district on last 10 September.

“A local unit of Jamaat-e-Islami, Gopalpur Upazila under Tangail district arranged a discussion program on last 10 September marking the holy Day of Ashura. But police arrested 36 leaders and activists while they were attending the discussion program and subsequently sent them to jail. I am vehemently condemning the incident.

Following the arrest Tangail district’s police super Sonjit Kumar Roy in a press conference on 11 September, presented a concocted story saying that Jamaat men were gathered over there to conduct the subversive activities in the Bangabandhu bridge area. We have no word to condemn his baseless statements. We even can not understand, holding a sensible post, how did he manipulate such a story? His comments are far away from truth. He made the comment just to draw attention and also to imprison the Jamaat men unjustifiably.

I am urging the concerned authorities to be refrained from making false and concocted comments against Jamaat leaders and activists and simultaneously calling upon them to release all the detainees immediately.