Shahriar Kabir hits out at Islami Bank

Shahriar Kabir, executive president of 'Ekatorrer Ghatak O Dalal Nirmul Committee', has come out strongly against the government's ambivalence over the Islami Bank.

India Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 31 Jan 2015, 04:32 AM
Updated : 31 Jan 2015, 04:33 AM

He told bdnews24.com over an informal chat at the Calcutta Book Fair grounds late on Friday that Islami Bank was involved in fund raising for 'jihad' in Bangladesh.

" I have the documents, I have all the evidence, HUJI's Arabic mouthpiece published an account number of Islami Bank's Kuwait branch for receiving contributions for conducting jihad in Bangladesh," Kabir said.

He promised to make the evidence public in a publication due for release in February.

"Much of the funds for fundamentalist activities of organisations like Jamaat and HUJI were raised in the Middle East, but Islami Bank was brazen enough to have an account for officially collecting these donations," Kabir said.

Kabir said he has provided this evidence and more to Bangladesh Bank and the government for necessary action against the Islami Bank.

"But nothing has happened so far."

Kabir said some leaders in the Awami League, including ministers in the present cabinet, were trying to shield the Islami Bank for mysterious reasons.

"There are ministers who say they will collect Tk 1,000 crore for Padma Bridge from the Islami Bank. They are the ones who are shielding them," Kabir said.

He appealed to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to move against these ministers and leaders who were out to 'compromise' with the Jamaat-e-Islami.

"She is uncompromising but there are leaders in her party who do things behind her back."

Kabir had been joined by many secular intellectuals in protesting acceptance of donations from the Islami Bank for organising “Sonar Bangla in Million Voices,” an attempt to set a new world record on the most number of people sing the national anthem together on the country’s Independence Day last year.

"That would be an insult to the millions who died for the country's independence."