Sajeeb Wazed joy has said Jamaat-e-Islami is the primary perpetrator of terrorism in Bangladesh adding that targeting peaceful civilians is nothing new for the radical Islamist party.
In his recent opinion piece published in The Washington Times, Joy, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ICT adviser, further stated that Jamaat-e-Islami has frequently and ruthlessly engendered violence against leaders of opposing political parties, Hindu minorities and security forces ever since Bangladesh’s War of Independence in 1971.
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“Bangladesh is grappling with a resurgent, radical, terrorist organisation that is masquerading as a legitimate political party,” he added.
Recalling the role of senior Jamaat-e-Islami leaders during Bangladesh’s War of Independence in 1971, the opinion piece said: “During that bloody conflict, members of Jamaat collaborated with Pakistani soldiers to slaughter an estimated 3 million people, rape 200,000 women and force the exodus of tens of millions.
“In recent years, Jamaat-e-Islami has ramped up its terror activities in response to the ICT’s rulings, setting off hundreds of bombs across the country. Children as well as adults have been killed as a result.”
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The article also mentioned that the four bloggers, who were hacked to death by extremists in Bangladesh this year, had written in favour of capital punishment for Jamaat-e-Islami leaders convicted of war crimes by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).
“Jamaat’s leadership makes no attempt to mask its organization’s aims. It and its partners have enticed young “student” recruits and seek to establish an Islamic theocratic state in Bangladesh.
“Like al Qaeda, with which it continues to collaborate, Jamaat has proven that it will do so by any means available.”
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Referring to the serious and growing threat of dreaded Islamic State and other such terrorists organisations pose around the world, the son of Bangladesh prime minister wrote in his opinion piece: “One Muslim nation, Bangladesh, can be relied on to stand tall against homegrown and foreign-produced terrorists.
“As a proud ally of the United States, Bangladesh is widely viewed as a secular, democratic model for all of South Asia and a stalwart in the war against the scourge of terror.”
“The United States and other western nations need a stable, terror-free South Asia. Bangladesh stands as a beacon for the region in this regard — peaceful and democratic, governed by secular laws,” the article further added.
Mentioning that a strong, thriving Bangladesh should be central to US foreign policy in the region because it enhances national security and economic interests, Joy stated: “As a result, the United States should not hesitate to call Jamaat-e-Islami what it is — a foreign terrorist organization.”
Regarding the 55-minute video circulated on the Internet in which the nominal head of al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, called on Bangladeshis to “raise the flag of jihad” across South Asia, Joy further said: “The government of Bangladesh is trying to make sure this doesn’t happen.”