Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman on Friday said his party does not claim to be infallible, but maintained that it has a zero-tolerance policy towards wrongdoing.
Addressing the party’s Rukun Conference at Kakrail in the capital, Shafiqur said Jamaat members, like all people, are not immune to mistakes.
“Jamaat-e-Islami is not a party of infallible people. We are human beings, and we, too, make mistakes. But we have made one thing clear-wrongdoing and Jamaat-e-Islami cannot go together,” he said.
He said the party does not deny that its members may commit errors or even crimes, and urged the public to report any such incidents.
“If those who love the country and the nation find any wrongdoing or crime committed by us, they should bring it to our attention. We promise to correct ourselves,” he said.
Calling on party leaders and activists to uphold high ethical standards, Shafiqur said Jamaat would show no compromise on morality.
“If you wear white clothes, you must be even more careful-very careful. There is no compromise on morality in Jamaat-e-Islami,” he said.
He added that members found guilty of minor violations could be given an opportunity to reform and continue their responsibilities. However, he warned that serious misconduct would result in strict disciplinary action.
“That message applies to everyone, including myself. We all have to remain conscious and vigilant,” he said.
On national politics, Shafiqur claimed that the recent referendum reflected the public’s rejection of the country’s previous political system and urged the government not to ignore what he described as the people’s verdict.
He also alleged that the government had failed to take adequate steps to rehabilitate those affected by the July mass uprising and expressed dissatisfaction over the delay in opening the proposed July Museum.
The Jamaat chief further argued that if the referendum were declared unconstitutional on constitutional grounds, it would also raise questions over the legitimacy of the July mass uprising and the current government’s legal standing.
