Jamaat’s Shafiqur blasts interim govt over attack on July activists

"We are an oppressed organisation, we have been treated in such a way that no one in the Indo-Pak subcontinent was treated,” he says

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman has condemned the interim government after police allegedly attacked participants of the July Movement, describing the incident as “shameful” and “deeply painful”.

Speaking at a workers’ rally at Mirpur Dhaka on Friday, Shafiqur said: “We have repeatedly demanded constitutional recognition and dignity for the July fighters. If they were beaten by police of the interim government, it is truly shameful.”

He urged the government to act “responsibly and fairly”, warning against treating the July activists like ordinary protesters.

The rally, organised by the Bangladesh Workers’ Welfare Federation at the Pabarta Eidgah ground in Dhaka-15 constituency, comes as Shafiqur prepares to contest the parliamentary elections from the area.

The Jamaat leader accused the authorities of failing to restore stability after last year’s uprising that toppled the Hasina administration.

“Bangladesh today is full of wounds — corruption, insecurity and injustice have deepened,” he said. “Only those dreaming of a new Bangladesh can free this nation from its suffering.”

Claiming Jamaat had faced severe persecution, he said: “We are an oppressed organisation. No one in the Indo-Pak subcontinent has been treated the way we have; our leaders were killed, crippled, and our party symbol torn away.”

Shafiqur also criticised sections of the media for allegedly distorting his remarks on forgiveness towards the Awami League.

“I never used that word,” he said. “Why put words in my mouth? This is unethical journalism.”

Declaring a zero-tolerance stance on graft, he added: “No extortion, no bribery, no encroachment will be allowed in a new Bangladesh. Jamaat-e-Islami was never branded as an extortionist party, and it never will be.”