Acting Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and former lawmaker Professor Mujibur Rahman has issued the following statement on 6th March, 2024 condemning the latest move of the incumbent controversial government as they passed The Speedy Trial (amendment) Bill 2024 in the parliament aiming to make it a permanent legislation.

“The incumbent illegitimate government has come to the power through a farcical election and they do not have any public mandate. This is why, they have passed The Speedy Trial (amendment) Bill 2024 in the parliament within just 24 minutes aiming to make it a permanent legislation in order to suppress and subdue the opposition parties.

The Home Minister tabled the black law titled The Speedy Trial (amendment) Bill 2024 in the parliament on last 4th March. The parliament members opposed the bill. But based on the so-called outright majority the ruling party passed the bill within 24 minutes and set a bad example. As per the bill, if any citizen violates any section of this law, the government can sentence him with two to seven years of imprisonment along with financial penalty.

The incumbent government is not an elected one. More than 87% people of the country did not take part in the election of 7th January. The law enforcers and the ruling party cadres jointly creating anarchy and terrorism nationwide and oppressing the people severely. The government is also imposing one after one anti-people decision. They are exploiting the people by increasing the gas and electricity price. In such a period, the government has passed the bill so that the people cannot raise their voice against government’s repressive policies and decisions. The government will utilize this law as a tool to foil the opposition movement as well.

We also came to know that the government is mulling to enact another controversial ‘transgender law’. 92 percent people of this country are Muslims but the government is planning to pass such act to turn the country into a sanctuary of the homosexuals. Through its anti-Islamic activities, the government is plotting conspiracy to root out Islam from this country. But the Islam-loving people will not let the government to implement such notorious law.

I am urging the government to cancel the Speedy Trial Act and also to be refrained from enacting Transgender law. Besides, I am calling upon the political parties, civil society forums and the religious community to take stand against this anti-human law.