Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Acting Secretary General Maulana ATM Masum has issued the following statement on 21st August 2023 protesting and condemning the unjustified arrest of Bagerhat district’s Kochua thana Jamaat Ameer Maulana Rafiqul Islam and 3 other leaders and activists of Mujibnagar Upazila under Meherpur district.

On 20th August at 7 in the evening, Bagerhat district’s Kochua thana Jamaat Ameer Maulana Rafiqul Islam went to the house of Arafat, a detained Jamaat activist. At that time, local resident and Kochua thana Awami League president Saiful Islam came to know about this visit. Saiful Islam kept Maulana Rafiqul Islam cordoned for a while. Afterwards, he informed the police force. Subsequently policemen came and arrested Maulana Rafiqul Islam. Police also arrested 3 Jamaat activists from Meherpur and 5 from Mymensingh district. In recent times, attempts of organizing funeralsin absentia for Allama Sayedee have been obstructed in various places across the country. Hundreds of leaders and activists have been arrested as well. False cases have been issued against thousands of leaders and activists. I am protesting the inhuman activities of the incumbent tyrant government.

The government has been repressing and torturing the leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami for last 15 years in order to attain their ill political interest. These Jamaat leaders and activist’s arrest is a part of the same conspiracy. But no government could stay in power by oppressing the opposition leaders and activists and this government will not be able to stay in office as well. The pace of the movement will increase in accordance with the pace of repression.

I am urging the concerned authorities to stop torture, arrest drives and repression at once and to release all detained leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami including Maulana Rafiqul Islam immediately.