Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has filed a review petition seeking reconsideration of the ruling that abolished the caretaker government system. Jamaat’s Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar submitted this review petition to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Wednesday. The party's lawyer Mohammad Shishir Monir confirmed the matter. Jamaat’s registration: Appellate Division accepts petition to restore appeal Earlier, on October 20, the Appellate Division's chamber judge scheduled a hearing for two separate review petitions regarding the ruling concerning the abolition of the caretaker government system for October 24. This matter will be heard in the full bench of the Appellate Division. On October 16, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir filed a review petition against the ruling that abolished the caretaker government system. In August, Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN) Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar also filed a separate review application against the ruling. The thirteenth amendment to the constitution, which included the caretaker government system, was adopted by the National Parliament in 1996. Challenging the validity of this amendment, three lawyers, including Advocate M Salimullah, filed a writ in the High Court. On May 10, 2011, the Supreme Court's Appellate Division declared the thirteenth amendment to the constitution “illegal” and annulled it, abolishing the caretaker government system. However, the court led by then Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque expressed that the 10th and 11th elections could be held under a caretaker government. The ruling stated that in this case, any decision regarding the chief adviser of the caretaker government could be made based on consensus in Parliament.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has put forward a comprehensive set of 41 proposals for state reform, including key changes to the judiciary, the abolition of electronic voting machines (EVMs), and police law reforms. The party also called for increasing the age limit for government jobs to 35 years and raising the retirement age to 62. Jamaat seeks reform first for successful elections The proposals were unveiled today by Jamaat’s Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher during a press conference at the Westin hotel in Dhaka’s Gulshan. Jamaat's Ameer, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, was also present at the event. Jamaat Amir calls for national unity At the outset of his speech, Dr. Taher prayed for those who lost their lives during the July-August movement, calling on Allah to accept them as martyrs. He accused the Awami League of establishing authoritarian control over the country, saying, "Awami League entrenched its power through dictatorship, capturing the administration, executive branch, and judiciary. Thousands of cases were filed to create a reign of oppression." AL's remnants still actively hatching conspiracies against interim govt: Jamaat Secretary General Dr. Taher emphasized the need for a separation between the judiciary and the executive branch. “To ensure justice, the judiciary must be reformed,” he said, adding that civil cases should be resolved within five years and criminal cases within three years. Restoration of Caretaker Government and EVM Abolition Jamaat-e-Islami also reiterated its demand for the reinstatement of the caretaker government system for national elections, accusing the Awami League of dismantling the electoral process. "The ruling party destroyed the electoral system by abolishing the caretaker government," the party said, stressing the need for its permanent restoration and the cancellation of the EVM system. Police Reforms and Accountability The party also called for reforms in police laws, proposing the creation of an independent commission for transfers and promotions to eliminate political interference. Dr. Taher advocated for incorporating religious and moral education into police training and reducing the use of lethal weapons. Reforms in Government Employment On government employment, Jamaat proposed that job applications should be free of charge and that the maximum age limit for entry into government jobs be raised to 35 years for the next two years and then set permanently at 33 years, with retirement at 62. The party also demanded the cancellation of appointments obtained through leaked examination papers or corruption. Strengthening the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to operate independently was another key recommendation. Term Limits for Prime Ministers Jamaat proposed a two-term limit for anyone holding the office of Prime Minister, advocating for a balance of power between the Prime Minister and the President. Cultural and Educational Reforms The party also suggested reforms in the cultural and educational sectors, recommending the inclusion of teachings about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in all levels of education. They further called for the elimination of obscenity in films, television dramas, and digital content. Foreign Relations and Hajj Costs On foreign policy, Dr. Taher emphasized the importance of fair and balanced relations with neighboring countries, particularly on shared rivers with China, Nepal, and India. Jamaat also urged the government to take effective steps to reduce the costs of Hajj and Umrah for pilgrims. Accountability for Genocide Jamaat Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman demanded that those involved in genocide who had fled the country be brought back and tried in court. Election vs. Reform: Jamaat’s Roadmap When asked about the sequence of elections and reforms, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said that there would be two roadmaps—one for reforms and one for elections. He emphasized that neither process should be excessively long or rushed, noting, “There are many political parties in the country. For a vibrant parliament, the public must vote for the right candidates, not just the party.”

Acting Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Prof. Mujibur Rahman congratulated the people for rejecting the election and said people of the country and the world witnessed yet another mockery of an election without voters. He said that the people of Bangladesh and the world witnessed yet another farcical dummy election and history will mark the 7th of January as a black day, a press release said. Kader Siddique defeated by AL candidate Anupam Joy in Tangail-8 Jamaat Ameer said that almost all political parties, civil society, intellectuals, and people of different classes and professions of Bangladesh have been agitating for fair, free, impartial, and participatory elections under a caretaker government. The democratic world and Bangladesh's friendly countries have expressed hope for free and participatory elections in Bangladesh. The government held a mock election on January 7, ignoring public opinion. Salman F Rahman wins again He said that in order to make this farcical election participatory and acceptable, the government is trying to bring voters to the polling booths by standing their party people as independent, rebellious, and dummy candidates. Awami League's party cadres and administration continue to intimidate voters into voting. Many are threatened with death. People rejected vote strongly: AB Party “The people did not go to the polling stations to cast their votes, failing all the tricks of the Awami League government. Voters had no interest in farcical elections from the beginning of the election scheduled,” said Jamaat Acting Ameer.

Police have found evidence of supporting and funding the new militant outfit Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya by Ameer(chief) of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Shafiqur Rahman, said the DMP chief on Saturday. Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq said that the Jamaat Ameer’s son got involved with the militant outfit and later he supported and funded them willingly. He made the comment in reply to a question while briefing reporters after attending a programme in the capital. Read more: Rights experts decry advocacy of Jamaat’s British legal adviser to impose sanctions The Jamaat chief was arrested for his on allegations of assisting the militant group. When asked whether any other leader of Jamaat was found to be associated with the new militant outfit, the commissioner said, “For the sake of privacy, I am not disclosing that information now. We will give details after the operation is successful.” About the escape of two militants from the Dhaka court, Faruq said “We are going to get the report of the investigation committee. The report will ask to take action against those police members who were negligent on duty to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.” Read more: Jamaat ameer involved in breeding new militant outfit: CTTC chief  “Our surveillance has identified not only those two militants but many others who were involved in the incident. Hope we will be able to arrest them soon,” he added.

Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Shafiqur Rahman was involved directly in providing assistance to the activists of new militant outfit Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya to take training in Bandarban and bear the expenses, chief of the Counter Terrorism & Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of DMP Asaduzzaman said Tuesday. Briefing reporters at Dhaka Metropolitan Police media centre, Asaduzzaman said Rafat, son of Shafiqur Rahman, along with one of his associates were arrested from Jatrabari area of the city on November 9. Before the arrest of Rahat, the CTTC unit also arrested three members of new militant outfit Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya from Jatrabari area of the city while they were heading towards Sylhet for training, he said. Following the confessional statement from them, they arrested Rahat and his associates. After interrogating Rafat, it is known that all the youth arrested had been involved in the politics of Shibir and now joined the new militant group, he added. “Rafat was a member of Ansar Al Islam and collected some supporters from the militant group to join their new militant outfit Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya. A group of young people, who left homes recently, led by Rafat went to Bandarban from there they went to Sylhet for training from militants with Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), an armed group in the Chattogram Hill Tracts,” he said. Also read: Jamaat chief put on 7-day remand The Jamaat ameer was involved in sending the young people who left home recently to the hilly areas for training and bearing their expenses, said Asaduzzaman. Besides, a physician identified as Shakir was also arrested in this connection. CTTC unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested the ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Shafiqur Rahman in the early hours of Tuesday. A Dhaka court on Tuesday placed Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Shafiqur Rahman on a 7-day remand in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury passed the order after the hearing. END/UNB/MJ-MAS/ssk

Toby Cadman, a UK lawyer who was part of the team that asked the US and UK governments for sanctions against Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), has told Al Jazeera that everyone involved was surprised when UK decided not to implement sanctions. In a report published on December 6, 2022, Al Jazeera made the revelation. Read more: ‘Why this US sanction on Rab?’ Incidentally, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami engaged Toby Cadman as its legal advisor in London in 2011, after the trials of several top Jamaat leaders started – over war crimes committed during the 1971 Liberation War. The media was informed at the time by Tajul Islam – attorney for five Jamaat leaders – that Steven Kay QC, Toby Cadman, and John Cammegh had agreed to represent the Jamaat leaders. Cadman was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying, “I filed the request for sanctions and whilst I am not in a position to discuss the substance, I can confirm that I discussed the request with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office [FCDO, UK].” “Having worked on both the US and UK request for sanctions, I was strongly of the view that a coordinated response was necessary in the circumstances… Our filing in the UK targeted political officials and those in the security sector,” Cadman said. He went on to say: “It was certainly my position that the UK would issue mirror sanctions in coordination with the US. I was extremely disappointed when they failed to do so.” Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman, a liaison officer at the Asian Human Rights Commission who submitted the proof of human rights violations by Rab attached to the sanctions petitions to the US and the UK, echoed Cadman’s dismay, according to the Al Jazeera report. Read more: US imposes sanctions on RAB, 7 individuals Ashrafuzzaman pointed out that the US utilised the evidence his team gathered to justify the sanctions against Rab. Ashrafuzzaman told Al Jazeera: “The evidence was sent to the US state department and treasury, it was used by the US. That evidence was sent to the UK as well.” Asian Human Rights Commission, in a statement released in October, alleged that “the pro-government media and the internal and external allies of the Government of Bangladesh are running a smear campaign against the UN Independent Experts, specially the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) for their consistent attention to address the issue of enforced disappearance.” Responding to that, Professor Dr Mizanur Rahman, former Chairman of National Human Rights Commission, wrote: “What the (Asian Human Rights) Commission, however, failed to consider is that it was not an attempt to vilify any human rights body, rather the intention was to simply pinpoint the inconsistency and inaccuracy of the data coming from an institution like the UN which has always been at the forefront of defending human rights across the globe.” Read more: US sanctions on RAB made BNP fearless in anti-government protests: Fakhrul BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, in an interview published last month, had said the US sanctions on Rab helped rejuvenate the BNP rank and file to take to the streets fearlessly, as reflected in its recent rallies.  

A Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leader was killed and four others injured in a clash over land dispute in Patuakhali’s Mirzaganj on Thursday.

The government of Bangladesh has rejected the desperate “smear campaign” instigated by extremists and their allies, working from London and elsewhere. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the government of Bangladesh has learned of a false and defamatory report titled “All the Prime Minister’s Men” by the Al Jazeera news channel.