Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Acting Secretary General Maulana ATM Masum has issued the following statement on 2nd August 2022 protesting and condemning the unjust arrest of 5 Jamaat men from Gazipur city and another 4 Jamaat leaders and activists from Sunamganj district.

“The arrest drive that began in Gazipur city since last 30th July is still going on. On 1st August police arrested 5 Jamaat activists from this town. Police also arrested 4 Jamaat leaders from various areas of Jamalganj and Chhatok Upazila of Sunamganj district on 1st August. The detainees are Jamalganj Upazila Ameer Md. Habibur Rahman, Chhatok Upazila Ameer Maulana Ali Akbar, Sramik Kollan Federation’s Jamalganj Upazila secretary Tarequl Islam and Chhatok Upazila’s Soidergaon union Jamaat president Junedur Rahman. Police are arresting Jamaat men from Gazipur city and Sunamganj district just to harass them politically. I am vehemently condemning such arrest drive and subsequent harassment.

Since the beginning of the worst ever floods in Sylhet region, Jamaat has been serving the flood victims. Jamaat is now working to rehabilitate these helpless people. Due to such welfare activities, public sympathy has increased for Jamaat-e-Islami. As such the government has become frightened. The countrymen are of the view that the government is now conducting a nationwide arrest drive in order to thwart the constructive activities of Jamaat-e-Islami. The government’s crackdown is unjustified and we are calling upon the concerned authorities to stop such harassment and arrest drive immediately.

He said Jamaat-e-Islami has been continuing its peaceful movement systematically and democratically to secure public rights. This movement will never be subdued by such arrest and persecution.

I am calling upon the countrymen to be vocal against the incumbent government who had seized democracy and people’s voting rights and simultaneously became failure to resolve people’s fundamental crisis. I am also urging the concerned authorities to stop repression and to release all detained leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and Chhatrashibir immediately.