State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Nurul Haque Nur on Thursday called on Jamaat-e-Islami to drop the word “Islam” from its name, warning that the party would become an even bigger fascist force than the Awami League if given the opportunity.
The state minister, who also serves as the president of the Gono Odhikar Parishad, made the comments on Thursday afternoon while speaking to journalists at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
Earlier, he visited Sohanur Rahman Sohan, the president of the Kushtia Government College unit of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad. Sohan is currently undergoing treatment in a cabin in the old building of the DMCH after being injured during a clash between Jamaat-Shibir and the Gono Odhikar Parishad in Kushtia.
“Jamaat-e-Islami should drop the word ‘Islam’ from its name. If Jamaat gets an opportunity, it will become an even bigger fascist force than the Awami League,” Nur said.
He further alleged that Jamaat has caused the greatest harm to Islam by using its name as a guise and claimed the party has suffered a serious decline in moral standards.
As evidence of this moral decline, Nur pointed to the conduct of Jamaat lawmakers Amir Hamza of Kushtia and Gazi Nazrul Islam of Satkhira.
The Gono Odhikar Parishad president accused Kushtia MP Amir Hamza of making obscene and derogatory remarks about lawmakers, including Rubina Farhana and Farzana Putul. He also accused Hamza of making offensive comments regarding the late Arafat Rahman Koko, the younger son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia.
“Jamaat is supporting such filthy and hypocritical remarks,” Nur alleged.
Referring to the conduct of Satkhira MP Gazi Nazrul Islam, Nur argued that if Jamaat continues to claim itself as an Islamic party, that will be entirely contradictory to the principles of Islam.
“I would urge them to drop the word ‘Islam’ from Jamaat-e-Islami because they are causing the greatest harm to Islam by using the name of Islam as a guise,” Nur added.
Additionally, the Gono Odhikar Parishad chief alleged that Jamaat is seeking to come to power and has started making “irritating” remarks against the government only six months into its tenure.
