Charmonai pir slams Jamaat over double talk, secret US-India meetings

Amir of Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Charmonai Pir Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim has strongly criticised Jamaat-e-Islami, accusing the party of political duplicity and holding secret meetings with foreign missions.

Addressing an election rally as the chief guest in the Police Lines area adjacent to the Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Narsingdi Sadar upazila on Friday night, Rezaul Karim said Jamaat speaks differently in public while acting otherwise behind the scenes.

“They say one thing openly, but secretly hold meetings with the American embassy and India. Meetings can happen, but why secretly? There is something suspicious in that secrecy. The people of Bangladesh have understood this,” he said.

The Islami Andolan leader further alleged that the BNP-Jamaat alliance failed to fulfil the people’s aspirations during its time in power. “They could not implement the people’s demands, goals and objectives when they were in power. Will they suddenly work for development, welfare and peace if they return? The people of Bangladesh are no longer foolish and cannot be deceived again,” he said.

Rezaul Karim said the country has not been governed according to principles and ideals for the last 54 years. Referring to the political situation following the mass uprising on August 5, he said Islami Andolan initially sought a broader political understanding to rebuild the country. However, disagreements over leadership and policy led the party to decide to contest the elections independently.

“When we realised that some wanted to run the country under the existing legal framework instead of an Islamic system, we took the difficult decision to go to the elections alone,” he said.

Criticising Jamaat further, he said a group of “power-hungry politicians” claims it will establish a just state while operating under the same laws that have governed the country for decades. “If justice could be ensured under these rules, it would have happened already. Promising a just state under the same system is nothing but deception,” he added.

Calling on voters, Rezaul Karim urged supporters of Islam and the country to unite at the ballot box. “If those who love the country and Islam come together and vote, change is possible. Now is not the time to remain silent,” he said.

The rally was chaired by Islami Andolan’s Narsingdi-1 constituency candidate and district president Ashraf Hossain. It was also addressed by Narsingdi-2 candidate Saifullah Pradhan, Narsingdi-3 candidate Waiz Hossain Bhuiyan, and Narsingdi-5 candidate Badruzzaman, along with other central and local leaders.