Shafiqur Rahman, Chief of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, expressed the party's commitment to ending the politics of violence and division in the country.
“We want to lay to rest the politics of violence... it should never rise again. We want to bury the politics of division... it should never resurface. Our aim is to eliminate any form of division within the nation. On every issue, we wish to see the nation united,” he stated.
He made these remarks during a discussion meeting at a hotel in Gulshan, which was attended by editors, chief executives, news editors, and chief reporters from both print and electronic media.
Shafiqur Rahman extended a message of friendship and cooperation toward India, saying, “We all desire friendship, we want cooperation.”
He further added, “None of us want to encounter any danger. We want everyone to live as respected neighbours. This sentiment extends not only to India but to all nations.”
Emphasizing religious harmony,e stated, “If I have the right to live peacefully in this country, then people of all other religions have the same right. The term 'minority community' has been introduced, which has divided our society.”
Reflecting on the period of the Liberation War, when Jamaat collaborated with Pakistani forces by forming Razakar and Al-Badr units that participated in mass killings, Shafiqur Rahman said, “It deeply pains me when one group labels someone a ‘Pakistani Razakar,’ and another group calls someone a ‘Hindustani Razakar’... it is hurtful. Why are we branding our own people as agents of another country, calling them Razakars... why are we doing this?”
He also criticized the practice of mass accusations in criminal cases, saying, “In some murder cases, 500 people have been accused at once... how logical is that? This needs to be reconsidered many times over. In doing so, the real perpetrator might escape.”
“We have stated that we are the most oppressed... there’s no need for so many cases. A few symbolic cases are enough to educate the people.”
Among the editors and senior journalists present were Naya Diganta Editor Alamgir Mohiuddin, Manab Zamin Executive Editor Shamimul Haque, ATN Bangla Director (News) Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiron, Bangla Vision Chief Editor Abdul Hai Siddique, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) President Ruhul Amin Gazi, BFUJ General Secretary Kader Gani Chowdhury, and journalist leaders Abdul Hai Shikdar, MA Aziz, and Elahi Nawaz Khan Saju, who discussed the topic of ‘Free Media.’
