Acting Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Maulana ATM Masum has issued the following statement on 31st July, 2024 calling for the withdrawal of curfew, protesting the attacks on agitating students across the country and also demanding release of all political leaders and activists immediately.
While visiting the injured in various hospitals, instead of extending sympathy, the government is making mockery to them. They have kept detained 6 coordinators of the student movement in DB office for few days unjustifiably. Family, teachers and their classmates are not allowed to meet them. Today, students hold nationwide programs demanding their release and also for meeting other specific demands. The government earlier promised not to arrest, harass or prosecute any of the students. But they have breached the promise and subsequently cases are being filed against students across the country, and simultaneously arrests and harassment drives continue.
He also said that, the students have observed pre-declared 'March for Justice' program today protesting the mass killings of the government, their mass arrests, assaults and disappearances of some leaders of the anti-discrimination student movement. While, observing the program, agitating students have come under attacks in various places of the country including Dhaka, Mymensingh, Sylhet, Chittagong, Gazipur, Khulna, Barisal, Kishoreganj, Chandpur, Laxmipur, Tangail, Bogra, Thakurgaon, and Jessore. Police hurled sound grenades and tear gas at students' program in Sylhet. Police lathi-charged batons and threw tear shells upon the students across the country. More than 50 people became injured and huge number of protesters have been arrested as well. On the one hand, the government is pretending to be sympathetic, while on the other hand it continues to attack the students. We strongly condemn and protest this double standard tricky policy of the government.
The country's teachers, intellectuals, writers, journalists, columnists and cultural personalities are continuously protesting the government's mass killings. Dhaka University teachers' society has taken a strong stand against the massacres. The government is making the situation more complicated without restoring peace in the country. They are telling lies and blaming the opposition parties for the recent situation. The whole world has held the government responsible for the massacres and urged to take strict measures against the offenders.
The government is conspiring to ban the Jamaat-e-Islami with false accusations to cover up their misdeeds. Government’s such decision will be dealt with by the people of Bangladesh in a systematic and democratic process. Banning a party by the government order does not make it banned. A party with which millions of people are associated cannot be banned by any government decree. People have always been with Jamaat, still are and will be in the future, insha Allah. Jamaat will continue all its programs in a systematic, democratic and peaceful manner, Inshallah.
We call for immediate withdrawal of curfew, condemn the mass arrests, attacks and harassment of students and urged the concerned authorities to accept their demands and to stop conspiracies against Jamaat-e-Islami and restore peace and tranquility in the country. We also urge the countrymen to stand unitedly against government’s oppression and arrests drives. I am calling upon the concerned authorities to release all political leaders and activists.
