Amir of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, who is visiting the UK to seek the cooperation of the UK to bring back the smuggled money. Shafiqur Rahman said, I request your cooperation in bringing the money smuggled from Bangladesh to UK back to Bangladesh. People of Bangladesh will be grateful to you if the smuggled money is returned.
He said these things in the speech of the chief guest at a civic reception organized by the Coalition for Peace and Justice in Bangladesh at the Royal Regency in London on Sunday (November 17).
Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said, ‘Truth is established once it is told because it is true. And to establish a lie, you have to tell it again and again. Awami League is a self-confessed fascist. It is an established fact. They must face justice for the way Awami League has treated the people of the country for 16 years. They not only took away people’s rights, they created an anarchic situation in the country. They killed people in front of their eyes. We want them to be judged by establishing justice.’
He said, ‘I myself am a victim of unfair trial. I was arrested and told that I slept with a cocktail under the bed.’
He also said, ‘The Awami League started their murderous politics by killing 57 patriotic intelligence officers of the patriotic army and their family members at the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) headquarters in Pilkhana on 25 and 26 February 2009. Through this they made a futile attempt to break the morale of the Bangladesh Army and at the same time finish off the BDR forces. After these two murder missions, they attacked the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. Many thought that if such a situation passes over the Jamaat, then the country will be calm. But it didn’t happen.’
Dr. Shafiq thanked and thanked the UK government and said, “I express my gratitude to the UK government for giving shelter and citizenship to those persecuted by the Awami League and I hope that you will not spare any perpetrators.”
He thanked the expatriates and said, ‘You have honored the 18 crore people of Bangladesh by welcoming me. You protested fascism from exile. He kept the country’s economy moving by sending remittances. I express my gratitude to you for that.’
Amir of Jamaat said, ‘We want to build a humane Bangladesh, where every citizen will live with dignity irrespective of religion and caste. Where our women will live with dignity and security. We want to make our huge manpower a blessing for us.’
He said, ‘All the allegations brought against Begum Khaleda Zia, former Ameer Jamaat Professor Gholam Azam, Matiur Rahman Nizami and all Jamaat leaders were false and fabricated. It has been proven.
Referring to the horrific memory of the July 2024 uprising, he further said, ‘Students started a movement to demand their rights, later the crowd took to the streets with them. Martyr Abu Saeed stretched out his hands and said, “Either give me the right, or shoot me.” Thousands of students were injured and crippled. The country was freed from fascism only in return for such sacrifices of the students. Now we have to treat the injured as well as rehabilitate the families of the injured and the dead.’
Eminent Islamic scholar and community face Mufti Sadruddin, Eminent Islamic Scholar and President of Ulama Mashaikh UK Shaikh Maudood Hasan, Spokesperson of Bangladesh Jamaat Islami Europe Barrister Abu Bakar Molla, Prof. Dr. Hasnat Hossain MBE, community personality and eminent lawyer Barrister Ataur spoke on the occasion. Rahman, community figure and eminent lawyer Barrister Nazir Ahmed, human rights organization Muslim Voice Executive Director Mahfuz Nahid, community figure and eminent lawyer Mirza Ashab Baig, media personality and founder of Channel S Mahi Ferdaus Jalil, eminent journalist and former MD of Channel I Europe. Reza Ahmed Chowdhury Shuaib, Barrister Saifuddin Khaled, Speaker of London’s Tower Hamlets Council, Oli Ullah Noman, Special Correspondent of Dainik Amar Desh, Maulana Sadekur Rahman, prominent Islamic scholar and community figure, Barrister Najeeb Momin, privileged son of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s former emir Shaheed Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami, persecuted. Journalist Enam Chowdhury and others.
Prominent community leader and businessman Sirajul Islam Shaheen gave a welcome speech at the civic reception held at The Royal Regency Hall in East London under the direction of former student leaders Abu Saleh Yahya and Shamsul Alam Golap. Among others, former Speaker of Tower Hamlets Council Councilor Zaheed Chowdhury, former Cabinet Mecouncillor of Tower Hamlets Council Kabir Hossain etc. were also present.
Maulana Hafiz Kazi Hamidul Haque recited from Al-Quran on the occasion. Islamic Nasheeds were performed by two separate groups of artistes led by artists Naushad Mahfuz and Kamal Hossain at various times.
At this time, the organizer of the event, Coalition for Peace and Justice in Bangladesh, led by Mr. Mahfuz Nahid, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman was accepted.