Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar on Sunday claimed that expatriate Bangladeshis have threatened to “shut down” remittances if retired Major Akhtaruzzaman is not released.
He said Akhtaruzzaman’s arrest has angered many expatriate Bangladeshis, which could affect the country’s remittance inflow.
Porwar made the remarks at a press conference at Jamaat’s central office in Dhaka on Sunday afternoon.
“Since yesterday, you have seen online and on social media that expatriate remittance senders have expressed strong anger and reacted,” he said.
Quoting expatriate Bangladeshis, Porwar said they viewed Akhtaruzzaman as someone who had spoken up for their rights and believed his arrest had undermined those rights.
“They have threatened that if he is not released, they, the expatriate remittance senders, will again “shut down” remittances if necessary,” he said.
Porwar said the government should take the issue seriously, warning that continued detention could affect remittance flows.
He also alleged that Akhtaruzzaman’s arrest was politically motivated and claimed that the airport incident cited in the case was merely an excuse.
“The airport incident was not the main reason for his arrest. It was used as an excuse to arrest him for political vengeance and retaliation at the direction of government policymakers,” he alleged.
Porwar further claimed that some BNP leaders and activists were unhappy with Akhtaruzzaman after he left the party and joined Jamaat.
“He left the BNP and joined Jamaat-e-Islami, and many could not accept it,” he said.
Questioning airport management, Porwar claimed that Akhtaruzzaman, along with 34 MPs and their family members, had to wait for hours at the airport. He alleged that passengers also faced delays in receiving luggage and difficulty finding trolleys.
He criticised the rejection of Akhtaruzzaman’s bail petition, saying lawyers had sought his release after he was produced before the court following the completion of his remand.
“The bail petition was rejected today as well,” Porwar said.
He also criticised the authorities for allegedly putting Akhtaruzzaman in handcuffs and making him wear a helmet and bulletproof vest.
“I believe this was disrespectful to freedom fighters. We strongly condemn making him wear handcuffs, a helmet and a bulletproof vest,” he said.
Porwar demanded Akhtaruzzaman’s immediate release on bail and called for him to be given first-class division in jail.
He also demanded an immediate investigation into alleged irregularities in airport management, particularly luggage handling.
“There should be an immediate investigation committee into this,” he said, calling for the roles of the aviation ministry, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh and those involved in luggage handling to be investigated.
