Assistant Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan has issued the following statement on 8 December 2020 protesting and condemning the sedition cases which have been filed against the noted religious scholars just because of their speeches against constructing statues.

“Sedition case has been filed on 7 December against noted religious scholars and Islamic personalities including Hefazat-e-Islami Ameer Maulana JunayedBabunagari, Joint Genereal-Secretary of Hefazat-e-Islam and Acting Secretary General of Bangladesh KhelafatMajlish Maulana MamunulHaq and IslamiAndolon Bangladesh’s Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Foizul Karim. Another similar case has been filed against MamunulHaq as well. We are condemning such moves and initiatives of the government against country’s designated religious personnel.

Bangladesh is a Muslim majority country where 92 percent of the total population are Muslim. But in such a country, it is really unfortunate to see that in such a country, cases are being filed against the religious leaders just because of their position against constructing statues and sculptures. The religious personnel, Islamic scholars and the general masses have disclosed their position against statue construction as these steps are extremely prohibited in Islam. The countrymen expected that the government would pay heed to the people’s call and will step back from their intention. But reversely they lodged cases against the Islamic figures. We believe that these cases are just a part of the conspiracy against Islam and Islamic politics. The cases have been filed in order to harass these renowned persons.

I am calling upon the concerned authorities to withdraw all the cases, which have been filed against the noted religious leaders of the country.