For the last several months, BNP Chairperson’s adviser Fazlur Rahman has been under constant threats and bullying by the Jamaat-Shibir and the mob leaders of the National Citizen Party (NCP) as he stood firm on opposing any attempt to undermine the freedom fighters and the 1971 Liberation War—occurred openly since the fall of the Awami League government last August.
A veteran freedom fighter, former MP from Kishoreganj, and Supreme Court lawyer, Fazlur Rahman regularly appears on talk shows on private TV channels and social media and speaks on contemporary issues, including elections, mob violence and religious extremism.
In contrast, leaders and activists of the NCP, Jamaat-Shibir and other radical Islamist parties have been running a smear campaign to malign him, with some issuing threats of mob attacks if he had not kept silent. He has also been tagged as a collaborator of the Awami League.
Lately, the BNP politician spoke about the mass uprising and stated that the student-led anti-quota movement was masterminded by Jamaat-Shibir, terming it a dark force, triggering resentment in the anti-liberation Jamaat-Shibir and the moderate Islamist NCP, a brainchild of Muhammad Yunus.
He came under severe bullying on social media, and some NCP leaders, aka mob commanders, instigated public humiliation by throwing shoes at his posters.
As soon as the BNP served him a show-cause notice on Sunday, seeking an explanation for his “absurd,” “offensive and misleading,” and “organisationally inappropriate” remarks, some activists of the pro-government student fronts created a mob in front of his rented house in Dhaka’s Segunbagicha. They gave abusive slogans using loudspeakers and held placards with derogatory texts written on them throughout the day with impunity. Newspapers and TV channels also criticised such a protest, but the law enforcers did not take any steps to deter them.
In the notice, the BNP doubts that his statements are “part of a deliberate conspiracy to damage the party’s reputation.” In contrast, during the uprising, more than 1,500 people, including over 400 BNP leaders and activists and numerous students and citizens, were martyred, while over 30,000 others were seriously injured.
In reality, Fazlur Rahman did not make comments on the Jamaat’s conspiracy out of the blue. Recently, Jamaat leader Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher told BBC Bangla that they had planned the movement and their student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, was at the forefront.
Earlier, many current and former leaders of Chhatra Shibir publicly explained how they contributed to organising countrywide protests, drafting the demands and press statements, providing logistical support, food and water, and their militia teams operating at several points of Dhaka on August 4-5.
Meanwhile, armed gangs of the pro-Jamaat jihadist groups in Bangladesh and Pakistan, including Hizb ut-Tahrir, Ansar al-Islam, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jamaat-ut-Dawa, and some former and current members of the Bangladesh Army admitted having participated actively in the anarchy in July-August when hundreds of government establishments were looted and burned, police members killed and arms looted, and snipers killed protesters and onlookers in a planned way.
Local BNP protests conspiracy
Hundreds of party leaders and activists took out a procession in Ashtagram, Kishoreganj, to protest the conspiracy against freedom fighter Fazlur Rahman on Monday afternoon. The procession started from the playground of Ashtagram Upazila Sadar, went around the market, and then met in front of the Muktijoddha Bhaban for a short rally.
It was led by Upazila BNP Senior Joint General Secretary Nizamul Haque (Nazrul). In addition to him, Upazila Volunteer Party Member Secretary Zubair Hasan (Yamin) also addressed the rally. The speakers said that when BNP and its affiliated organisations’ leaders and activists were plagued by attacks and cases for the past 17 years, Fazlur Rahman stood by them like a guardian and kept them informed.
BNP leader Nizamul Haque said: “If any wrong decision is taken against Fazlur Rahman due to the conspiracy of Jamaat-NCP, we BNP leaders of Ashtagram-Itna-Mithamoin will not sit at home. We will confront all conspiracies and bring our leader out by tearing the web of conspiracy.”
Describing Fazlur Rahman as an honest, fearless and idealistic politician, the speakers said that a clique of Jamaat and NCP has been involved in a planned conspiracy to degrade his political position. Their propaganda and slander will fail this time, too, like in the past. There will be no benefit in making mischief against a tested politician fighting for democracy. All conspiracies will be thwarted through a united movement of leaders and activists.
After the protest rally, prayers and supplications were offered for Fazlur Rahman’s long life and good health.
What did he say about Jamaat?
During a recent television talk show, Fazlur Rahman claimed that Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir played the most significant role in the August 5 movement. He alleged that the organisation had long been conspiring to destabilise Bangladesh’s political environment.
He said: “Those who orchestrated August 5, the dark force—the name of that dark force is Jamaat-e-Islami, and their leading force is Islami Chhatra Shibir. People like Sarjis Alam (previously a Chhatra League activist in disguise), who pretend to act in this so-called uprising, are not leaders to me anymore—they are actors. Those Al-Badr, Al-Shams, Jamaat-e-Islami—we thought they had forgotten the disgrace of their defeat 54 years ago, but no, that humiliation has doubled within them.”
Fazlur further alleged that Jamaat “plotted its way into establishing a stronghold in the country” and claimed there was an “international conspiracy” backing them.
He stated: “As part of this conspiracy, they have become such a powerful force that now they have wealth, resources—everything.”
Fazlur believes Jamaat holds “informal control” over the interim government, even though the party knows it cannot come to power through elections. He added that the BNP remains Jamaat’s main obstacle.
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He also claimed the Jamaat’s vote share, once 7%, has now dropped by 1%, because people have realised that they are the “children of razakars. Even after 54 years, they haven’t forgotten their betrayal and now want revenge.”
Plea for safety
The situation forced Fazlur Rahman to hold a press conference at the Law Reporters’ Forum office at the Supreme Court on Monday. He was flanked by his wife, also a lawyer, and their son.
He said that the mobs were trying to kill him and his family members.
Asked about any link between the protests and the notice, Fazlur Rahman said: “I can find a link, but I will not talk about it now. They (students) have already hit many people… I am Fazlur Rahman, a simple person; they are hitting shoes on the cheeks of many great people… My point is that they hit shoes, they will say that. People will judge them.
“But to go in front of my house and kill me or to stop my fundamental rights; I have made it known to the nation. They will not hit me with shoes or hold a procession; let them do it. If necessary, if they have said something against them, let them go and file a case against me.
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“I spoke about the security of my life. I have the right to live in this country. I am a freedom fighter… Now, I went to my house and informed the nation, the country and the security forces through you about what is happening.
“O people of Bangladesh, I fought for you 54 years ago. I fought to create an independent country for you, the children who are shouting slogans against me today. Do I want an unjust death from you?”
In response to a question, Fazlur Rahman said: “If the boys or students think, if people from other parties think, that I have spoken against the Jamaat-Shibir and the anti-liberation people, I will say that. If they think that I have disrespected or hurt anyone in any way in my words, then they will respond to it politically, and I will respond to them. There is no need to kill each other for this. There is no need to create a mob in front of the house.”
About the abusive slogans, he said: “This is unfortunate. Even saying those words made me feel like some small children are equal to my children. I don’t even know who they are. They raised slogans in my name, to arrest the Fozu Pagla…etc. etc. It means that I have now become a crazy person in Bangladesh. The Jamaat people gave this name. The first person to say this name was [Jamaat leader] Mufti Amir Hamza
“They want to kill me, the way they created a mob in front of my house… I see, for the past year, since August 5, some of our children have created a mob and made demands, and whatever they say, they want to fulfil… But a senior person like me fought for the country; if I had not fought or if the freedom fighters had not fought, these children would not have been children of Bangladesh, they would have been children of Pakistan.”
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