Jamaat issues show-cause notice to Shahjahan over controversial remarks
Jamaat-e-Islami has issued a show-cause notice to Central Working Committee member Shahjahan Chowdhury for making inflammatory and undisciplined remarks at an election-related event in Chattogram, prompting widespread backlash from government officials, diplomatic circles, and the public.
The notice, signed by Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar on Tuesday, demands Shahjahan explain in writing within seven days why disciplinary action should not be taken against him under the party’s constitution.
The controversy stems from comments Shahjahan made on Saturday evening, November 22, during the “Electoral Responsibility Conference” held at the GEC Convention Hall in Chattogram, where he appeared as a special guest.
Jamaat Amir Dr Shafiqur Rahman was the chief guest but was not present on stage during Shahjahan’s speech.
In his address, Shahjahan alleged that “sacks and bags of money will enter our country from the neighbouring country of Hindustan, and weapons will enter.”
He then made a series of remarks widely interpreted as advocating for partisan control over state administration, stating: “If Jamaat were our Amir, I would have said – elections should not be held only by the people, but also by the administration. I won’t say this nationally; in each constituency, those in the administration must be brought under our control. They will rise on our words, sit on our words, arrest on our words, file cases on our words.”
The speech quickly went viral on social media, triggering sharp condemnation across political and professional spheres. The Bangladesh Police Service Association denounced the comments as a direct attack on the neutrality of civil administration, while local leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) called for Shahjahan’s arrest.
In its show-cause letter, Jamaat distanced itself from the remarks, asserting that they “clearly disrupted the professionalism, impartiality, and original spirit of the state administration” and contravened the party’s long-standing position that public institutions must remain neutral and function with integrity.
The letter further noted that Shahjahan has “repeatedly made statements undermining the party’s image and violating internal discipline,” despite multiple prior warnings – including direct admonitions from the Jamaat Amir. “No discernible change in conduct has been observed,” it stated.
According to the notice, the remarks have drawn “strong expressions of concern and condemnation” from various levels of government and even “direct reactions from diplomatic circles.” Domestically and internationally, the comments have reportedly “seriously damaged the reputation of the organization” and are deemed “incompatible with the party’s constitution, ideology, policy, and standards of responsible political behaviour.”
Failure to submit a satisfactory written explanation within seven days will result in “further action in accordance with the party’s disciplinary framework,” the letter warned.