Will go to court on 25 Feb to get arrested if ATM Azharul not released from jail: Jamaat ameer
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has given sufficient time to the government to grant the unconditional release of its former acting secretary general ATM Azharul Islam, yet he remains in jail, Ameer Shafiqur Rahman said today (20 February).
"It is absolutely not possible for me to stay outside while he [Azharul] remains in prison. We have given the government enough time [to grant his release]," Shafiqur wrote on his verified Facebook profile this evening.
"In protest of this oppression and demanding the release of ATM Azharul Islam, I will be present at the court premises on 25 February to be arrested myself.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
"The ministries of law and home affairs will take measures to arrest me and send me to prison. You will find me in the right place on time, Insha Allah," he said.
Azharul was sentenced to death in 2014 during the Awami League regime for committing rapes, murders and genocide during the country's 1971 Liberation War.
The party rejected the sentence, saying it was controversial and questionable.
In his post, Shafiqur wrote, [You must have noticed that the oppressed people's leader ATM Azharul Islam, a victim of the brutal oppression of fascism, is still in prison. Although all national leaders have been released one by one, he continues to bear the heavy burden of imprisonment as a victim of discrimination and oppression."
The disclosure comes two days after Jamaat held nationwide protest rallies and processions demanding ATM Azharul's unconditional release.
In a protest rally at Paltan on 18 February, Shafiqur had said, "Even though the fascist Awami League regime has fallen, ATM Azharul Islam remains imprisoned. Therefore, we make it clear that if he is not released immediately without conditions, our protests, rallies, and movement will not stop."
He demanded to know the specific time frame for Azharul's release while seeking the government's cooperation on the matter.
