Prime Minister’s Political Assistant Rashed Khan on Wednesday called Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman a “national liar” over the controversy surrounding a meeting between Jamaat leaders and an Indian intelligence official.
In a post on his verified Facebook account, Rashed said Shafiqur had earned the reputation of a national liar before the entire nation.
Responding to a remark by Shafiqur in the parliament, he said, “Rashed Khan plays with information, not falsehoods,”.
Rashed then said, “Mr Shafiqur Rahman, you have earned the reputation of a national liar before the entire nation. If you have any sense of shame, do not enter the Jatiya Sangsad again. Even if you do, apologise for your statement today.”
“Do we need any further evidence of the meeting between Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar and an Indian intelligence official?” Rashed asked in the post.
It may be mentioned Rashed has been publicly stating a meeting took place recently between visiting officers of Indian intelligence and Jamaat e Islami's senior leadership. He has even published a video purporting to be footage of the meeting.
Rashed said all the country's prominent journalists had information about the meeting.
Rashed further said the Jamaat ameer had ended his own and his party's political credibility by making false statements in the presence of 350 members of parliament in the Jatiya Sangsad.
Leader of the Opposition Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Wednesday challenged Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed to clarify which political party he was referring to when he suggested that a party had links to foreign intelligence agencies allegedly encouraging unrest in Bangladesh.
Speaking in Parliament following the minister’s statement under Rule 300, he said Salahuddin had made some indirect remarks, including an allegation that instigations were coming from across the border.
“I agree with him on that. However, there are allegations that a political party has an understanding with a foreign intelligence agency. Is there any connection between that party and the instigations? Which party is he referring to? I urge him to clarify,” said Shafiqur, also the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami ameer.
The opposition leader also rejected any suggestion that Jamaat had met representatives of foreign intelligence agencies, saying the party had no history of holding meetings with any country's intelligence agency.
“We are a political party. We meet our political opponents and friends, if there are any. Why would we meet an intelligence agency?” he said.
These are the remarks Rashed targeted in his post.