War heroes and minority community leaders have expressed disappointment over Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Rumeen Farhana’s remarks “glorifying” Jamaat-e-Islami — a party with proven records of strongly opposing the independence of Bangladesh and committing crimes against humanity together with the Pakistan army during the Liberation War — hours before Victory Day.

They were also of the view that this reflects BNP’s disregard to the ideals and values of the Liberation War, and is an affront to millions of families who lost their loved ones during the 1971 war.

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“As an organization, Jamaat is a formidable force. Over the years, it has prevailed despite heavy repression by the government. Their organizational strength, unity and discipline among cadres and activists are praiseworthy. Jamaat will prevail due to its obedient activists,” Rumeen Farhana said in a video uploaded on her YouTube channel.

While both the parties in recent years seemingly distanced themselves, reports have emerged about BNP’s acting chief Tarique Rahman reaching out to top Jamaat leaders, which culminated in both BNP and Jamaat observing blockades.

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Ahead of Victory Day, Rumeen’s “glorification” of Jamaat clearly sends a message for voters as well, particularly the minority communities, the war heroes were of the view.

Shahriar Kabir, freedom fighter and war crimes researcher, who was subjected to state-backed persecution during the BNP-Jamaat regime, had observed that considering the deep-rooted nexus between the parties over the decades, their simultaneous movement should not surprise anyone.

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Freedom fighter and Ekushey Padak-winning journalist Ajoy Das Gupta said, “General Ziaur Rahman, BNP’s founder, embraced Jamaat in independent Bangladesh, and his widow Khaleda Zia made war criminals ministers. The acting chief Tarique Rahman, who is running the party from London, inherited that legacy of betraying the values of the Liberation War.”

Jamaat had earlier vowed to enforce Sharia law in the country.

Earlier this year, following violence over an Ahmadiyya religious event in Panchagarh, Jamaat demanded that the government officially declare the community “non-Muslim”.

Tweets were posted from the verified account of Basherkella – known as a “Jamaat mouthpiece” – with “police brutality” and “boycott Qadiani (Ahmadiyya)” in hashtags. Members of the community called this a “hate campaign” against the Ahmadiyyas.