Awami League said that the day they lost power, the opposition would kill at least five lakh people. Nothing like that happened: Dr Shafiqur Rahman

Interview/ Dr Shafiqur Rahman, Ameer, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami

Hawkers and rickshaw pullers crowd the congested lane that turns into a comparatively open stretch where the obscurely located office of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami functions quietly. Railway lines have almost reached Dhaka’s Boro Moghbazar, promising to connect the Jamaat’s central office to the outside world, adding more footfall to the headquarters that was shut down in September 2011 after the group was banned by the Sheikh Hasina government. The office has been reopened after Hasina’s ouster. “We should thank you, you have come all the way from India,” says Dr Shafiqur Rahman, Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.

Rahman is aware of the apprehensions in India regarding the massacre of minorities and vigilantism on the streets, and about the expansion of the radical space that can snap the secular thread that binds his country with India. Jamaat’s domestic space might have opened up, but its next steps will determine how ready Bangladeshis are to embrace it. On issues plaguing bilateral ties, Rahman says it is the “mutual responsibility of both countries to address them”. Excerpts from an interview:

Q/ Is the law and order situation a concern in Bangladesh?

A/ During the July uprising, police fled from police stations, but we made an appeal to the people to volunteer to help improve the law and order situation. Our volunteers, cutting across religion, worked together day and night for 15 days. I appreciate their efforts because they braved difficulties and discharged their duties. At the same time, we declared we will not take revenge on anyone. But the perpetrators must be brought to justice. It is our policy not to file false cases and only to seek justice against people who are undoubtedly related to the crime. This is a very sensitive moment. Awami League leaders used to say that the day their party is not in power, at least five lakh people will be killed by the opposition. But nothing like that happened.

Q/ What about communal violence and mob justice?

A/ We are sitting together with all religious leaders. We have visited the main religious institutions, including temples and churches. We have sat together and exchanged our views on how we can help each other maintain discipline and tranquillity in society. We feel this initiative has been very useful in keeping the law and order situation under control. People are the worst sufferers of mob justice. We never support it. We do not want to divide the nation in any way into majority or minority. If we divide our nation on the basis of religion or other things, it becomes weaker. We feel all Bangladeshi citizens should enjoy the same rights. There is some propaganda against Jamaat, that we are against the rights of religious minorities or that we are not interested in upholding the rights of women. It is not true. Our leaders or activists have never discriminated on such grounds. In 2013, I wrote a letter to the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations to form a committee and conduct an investigation and find out whether anyone from our party was guilty on these counts. But we got no response. We had to approach international authorities because we could not expect the fascist government in Bangladesh to do justice.

Q/ What is the roadmap of Jamaat after the elections?

A/ We have participated in every credible national election and in all local government elections at all levels. We have had a good number of elected representatives in parliament and local governments. We believe in the democratic process. We feel power should be transferred in a peaceful manner. Our first focus is on educating the youth, who are the architects of the country. We want to empower them with modern technology, to make better use of their skills. Therefore, skill development is our next focus. If we improve our workforce, we can face challenges in a better way. Then there are concerns of climate change, the need for entrepreneurship and a corruption-free society. We need to prepare a generation that will serve the country with honesty, dignity and smartness. In the past, we have held portfolios of agriculture, industry and social welfare and won international recognition for corruption-free governance.

Q/ How do you ensure there is democracy as well as discipline within Jamaat?

A/ Our commitment to democracy is clear. We maintain it within our organisation and within the country. Our central body is elected for three years. This is the last year of our tenure, and this year itself, our central committee elections will be held. We have elections in every tier of our organisation and we have both male and female representation. In fact, 43 per cent of our members are female. There is more progress in issues related to women than men within our organisation. If people support us and we get a chance to serve them, our service will be oriented to the welfare of all.

Q/ You recently met Begum Khaleda Zia in London.

A/ Begum Khaleda Zia is suffering from many chronic diseases, but mentally she is a bit better now because she is living with her son, daughter-in-law and granddaughters. After a long, traumatised life, she is carrying the scars of her struggle for Bangladesh. She did not speak much, but I had a general discussion with her son, Tarique Rahman, on the situation in Bangladesh. He connects with his party cadres virtually. For the sake of the country, we hope he will come back and lead his party.