Staff Reporter :
Reformist Jamaat-e-Islami leaders floated a new political party on Saturday through a press conference held in the city.
However, no committee for the new party was announced though the leaders said, it will be done in due time. Mojibur Rahman Monju, an expelled Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Majlis-e-Shura member, said it at a press conference in a city hotel. He said that they had already formed five committees to launch the new party with the slogan “Jana Akhankhar Bangladesh”.
Monju, who is working as a Coordinator of the platform, said that their party would not be a religion based one, as representations of all communities will be there.
On February 15, Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Barrister Abdur Razzaq quit the party, citing its failure to apologise for its role in the War for Independence of Bangladesh and to bring reforms to its manifesto.
The following day, Mujibur Rahman (Manju), a member of Jamaat’s policy-making body ‘Majlish-e-Shura’, who had been vocal about bringing reforms to the party, was expelled on charge of “breaching discipline” and “anti-party activities”.
But Mujibur, said that Razzaq was not involved with the new outfit, nor the ruling Awami League helped them of any short.
Jamaat inter sources said, a faction of the Jamaat-e-Islam had called for party reforms after the war crimes trials were started against the party leaders over their role in the Liberation War in 1971.
Last year, the party’s Assistant Secretary General Abdur Razzak issued an apology for Jamaat’s role in the Liberation War before resigning from the party, adding impetus to the demands for change.
Tajul Islam, the lawyer for Jamaat leaders facing trial for war crimes, also attended the media briefing.
Confirming his affiliation with the organisation, Tajul said that he was not involved with the Jamaat before but had only defended its leaders in his capacity as a lawyer.
Jammat internal sources said that Jamaat ‘not worried’ over some former leaders’ initiative to float new party.
Jamaat, which lost its registration as a political party before the 11th general election, removed Monju as a member of its Dhaka metropolitan unit’s policymaking body Majlis-e-Shura, on February 15, for demanding a reform within the party.
In January, Law Minister Anisul Huq said that an initiative to amend The International Crimes Tribunal Act has been taken so that Jamaat can be brought under trial as a political party for its role in 1971.
