Release Azharul Islam or prepare to imprison 3 crore people: Jamaat chief to govt
Shafiqur Rahman says he would voluntarily surrender to the law enforcement authorities on 25 February and demand his arrest and imprisonment until Azharul is released
The interim government should get ready to imprison three crore adult citizens of Bangladesh, who directly support Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, if ATM Azharul Islam is not released from prison, said the party's Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman today (22 February).
He made the remarks this morning while addressing a rally organised by Jamaat's district unit at Adarsha Samad Government High School in Lakshmipur.
Shafiqur announced that on 25 February, he would voluntarily surrender to the law enforcement authorities and demand his arrest and imprisonment until Azharul was released.
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"Release me a day after Azharul Islam is freed," he said addressing the authorities.
The Jamaat chief expressed dismay over the government's failure to release Azharul, who has been in prison for 13 years, even though six months have passed after the Awami League government was ousted in a mass uprising.
He said that many national leaders have been freed but Azharul remains in a dark prison, continuing to suffer.
Azharul Islam, a senior Jamaat leader, was sentenced to death in 2014 for his involvement in crimes against humanity, including rapes, murders, and genocide, committed during Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War.
His death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2019, but it has not yet been carried out.
Azharul, who was a leader of a pro-Pakistani armed group and Jamaat's student wing during the war, was convicted for his role in the murder of over 1,200 people in Rangpur.
On February 18, Jamaat organised protests across the country including the capital, demanding Azharul's immediate release.
