Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair has said that the statement made by Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud regarding the slogan “Inquilab Zindabad” amounts to denying the reality of public aspirations.
He said, “The minister’s comments on the slogan during the International Mother Language Day discussion are not only inappropriate but also a denial of history and linguistics.”
In a statement issued on Sunday, Zubair, who also heads Jamaat’s central publicity and media department, expressed deep concern, condemnation, and protest over the minister’s remarks.
The statement noted that although the word “Inquilab” has Arabic origins, it has been used for decades in the subcontinent’s independence movement, struggles against autocracy, and fights for people’s rights.
It said, “Language is not confined within narrow boundaries; it is enriched, developed, and shaped through people’s usage.”
Zubair explained that the Bangla language itself has evolved by incorporating words from Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian, Portuguese, English, and many other languages. Therefore, labeling a word as “anti-Bangla” based on its origin contradicts fundamental principles of linguistics.
He said that attempts to create division over language and split the nation are unacceptable from any responsible person.
He added, “We want to make it clear: ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ is not the exclusive slogan of any particular group; it is a symbol of protest against exploitation, injustice, and autocracy. When students and citizens rise against oppression, silencing their voices with linguistic arguments goes against democratic spirit.”
Earlier, on the occasion of 21 February, Minister Iqbal Hasan had said that hearing the slogan “Inquilab Zindabad” causes him to suffer ‘bleeding of the heart.’
Referring to this, Zubair said, “Yet the deprivation of people’s rights, extortion, land grabbing, tender manipulation, criminal offenses, bribery, corruption, rising commodity prices, irregularities, and discrimination in the power and energy sector do not cause bleeding in your heart. Are these not enough to cause such pain? In reality, these are what cause bleeding in the nation’s heart.”
He stressed that the people expect the government to take effective measures to ease public suffering instead of blaming the language of rightful protest.
Zubair further said, “We believe Bangla is our pride and one of the foundations of our identity. It embodies a diverse vocabulary and historical experiences.”
Jamaat called on the concerned authorities to refrain from attempts to divide the nation over any word or slogan and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the minister’s remarks. Otherwise, Zubair warned, the people themselves will give the appropriate response.
