Banning Jamaat undemocratic, unconstitutional: BNP

BNP on Thursday protested banning Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, saying the government took this "undemocratic and unconstitutional" decision as part of its move to shift its blame onto others without any credible investigation.

In a statement, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also accused the government of using the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami as a diversion from the people's demand for the Awami League's resignation for carrying out genocide to suppress the student protests, warning that this strategy could ultimately backfire.

"Our attention has been drawn to the Awami League government's decision to ban Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. This decision is reprehensible, undemocratic, and unconstitutional. We strongly condemn and protest it," he said.

The BNP leader said the Constitution of Bangladesh guarantees the right to form political parties or organisations, allowing anyone to establish such organisations. "Declaring any political party banned based on unfounded allegations without a fair, internationally accepted, and credible investigation is unjust and unconstitutional."

He said the country's people fear that the government has made this imprudent decision to complicate the current situation further and create more violence, intending to shift the blame onto the opposition.

Fakhrul said the government is facing intense anger, hatred, and pressure both locally and internationally due to its involvement in genocide, brutality, and the severe suppression of peaceful student protests, amid calls for accountability from national and international human rights organisations, the UN, friendly countries, and the media.

"As students, parents, teachers, artists, journalists, lawyers, youth, women, and other professionals-regardless of party affiliation-protest against the government's repressive actions and call for the resignation of this fascist government, the Awami League has decided to ban Jamaat-e-Islami without any credible investigation," he observed.

He added that the government took this step to eliminate the opposition parties, keep them under pressure, and shift its own blame onto its rival parties.

Fakhrul said the Awami League will be unable to divert public opinion by playing the old card of systematically making non-issues into issues. "The blood of several hundred students, teenagers, youths, and children will not go in vain."

He also said the government cannot distract the public from the one-point movement by indulging in such undemocratic activities. "We urge all democracy-loving people, regardless of party affiliation, to strengthen the movement for the fall of this treasonous and dreadful government."

Earlier in the day, the government banned Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its student front Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir as political for their alleged involvement in terrorism.

In a multi-party system, Fakhrul said it is normal for each political party to have different policies, ideologies, and programmes, and the role of a political party is to face differences peacefully in the open arena of politics without resorting to force.

He bemoaned that the Awami League is used to eliminating and banning opposing political parties, having failed to face them politically. "This is evident from their political history."

As the BNP believes in multi-party democracy and upholds the principle that 'people are the source of all power,' Fakhrul said their party does not support banning any political party. "Instead, the BNP believes in addressing political issues through political means with public support."

Stating that the Awami League engaged politically with Jamaat-e-Islami during the anti-Ershad movement and the caretaker government movement against BNP, Fakhrul said the ruling party follows the principle of 'either an ally or a terrorist.'

He noted that the Awami League did not view Jamaat as an anti-liberation force or a terrorist party while collaborating with it against the BNP, as Jamaat-e-Islami was aligned with the Awami League at that time.

He said Jamaat-e-Islami has been opposing the fascist Awami League government. "As a result, Jamaat has been labelled a 'terrorist' by the Awami League simply because it is no longer an ally. The people of the country are well aware of which political party is truly engaged in terrorism."

The BNP leader asserted that the Awami League is the biggest promoter of terrorism in Bangladesh.