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Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has said the party is offering an unconditional apology not only for its role in 1971, but also for any “mistake” it has made since the Partition of India in 1947, according to bdnews24.com.
He clarified the party’s current political stance during an exchange of views with journalists in New York on Wednesday evening local time, the first day of his weeklong visit to the United States.
“When ATM Azharul Islam, sir was released from jail a few days ago, I said, ‘Not only in 1971, but since 1947, if anyone has suffered any pain because of Jamaat-e-Islami, if anyone has suffered any harm, I unconditionally apologise to you on behalf of all individuals and organisations. Please forgive us,’” Shafiqur said.
“How can we say that we have not made a mistake even today? We are human beings, our organisation is an organisation for humans; 99 out of a hundred of our decisions are correct, one may be wrong. My nation may even suffer some loss because of that wrong decision. So, in that case, if any of my decisions causes loss to the nation, where is the problem in me apologising?” he said.
“Now, after apologising, they say, ‘If you apologise in this language, it won’t work. You have to ask for it in that language.’ … I apologised unconditionally, I didn’t even give any conditions; then what else is left, I don’t understand,” he added.
After the political upheaval in Bangladesh, Jamaat-e-Islami first offered an unconditional apology on May 27.
On that day, following the acquittal of party leader Azharul in a war crimes case, Shafiqur held a press conference in Dhaka and apologised.
“As humans, we are prone to making mistakes, and no one is above it. As a party, we do not claim that we are above mistakes,” he said then.
“Whoever has been harmed or hurt by any worker, colleague or party of this organisation, we apologise to everyone unconditionally, without any conditions. Please forgive us.”
However, he did not specifically mention the Liberation War at that time.
Five months later, the Jamaat chief clarified his position on the matter.
“Did Jamaat have no role in 1971? Of course it did,” Shafiqur said in New York on Wednesday.
“Jamaat felt then that Pakistan needed to be united. Back then, it was still Pakistan. Many leaders of the Awami League worked under the Pakistani government. They received salaries. Many of the families of Awami League leaders even received rations from the then-Pakistani government. They received benefits.
“We have no objection. In times of danger, it is the government’s responsibility to look after the citizens, so they did. It is not our business to see which party they belong to. Those are the realities.”
He claimed that the Pakistani flag was flying in “about 90 per cent of the places” in Bangladesh until December 14, 1971.
“Everyone in the office and court had worked in the name of Pakistan. From the 15th, this scenario changed completely. In the next two days, that flag also came down. Work came to a halt,” he said.
“Until then, everyone who worked in East Pakistan had accepted Pakistan. Now you can say that this is against the public expectation. The public expectation was that the rulers of Pakistan should go, and Bangladesh should become independent. Why didn’t Jamaat respect this? This is a legitimate question. It would have been better if it had been done, it should have been done; I do not disagree on this,” Shafiqur added.
“But I am not the right person for this answer,” he said.
“Because all our leaders who were there at that time, in what context they were forced to make a decision, only they can say it best. They have answered all these questions many times during their lifetime.”
“Now ,some people of the nation say that, ‘let’s assume that you did not commit any specific crime. Even after that, the nation did not accept your political decision. You can only give an apology. We have given this apology at least three times,” he said.
“Prof Ghulam Azam has given it, Maulana Matiur Rahman has given it, and I myself have given it.”
“Today, I have said it publicly again, starting from 1947 to Oct 22, 2025, wherever we have caused suffering, we unconditionally apologise to those who have suffered -- whether it is the entire nation or an individual. There is no problem,” Shafiqur said.
“Never in my life have I said we are above all mistakes. None of my colleagues has said it, none of my seniors has said that. If any party claims that they are above all mistakes, of course, the nation will not accept it. Then why should they accept ours? So, whatever mistakes we know or do not know, we are grateful to those who have corrected these mistakes. And if anyone is affected by these mistakes, we apologise to them,” he added.
The discussion was organised by the Coalition of Bangladeshi American Associations (COBA) and moderated by Jamaat-e-Islami’s US coordinator, Nakibur Rahman. The Jamaat chief answered questions from journalists at the event held at the World Fair Marina Party Hall in Queens.