BNP: Courting Hefazat won’t win AL any support

BNP on Thursday said the ruling party's move to recognise Dawra degree as a masters' equivalent will not win the Awami League any votes from supporters and members of Hefazat-e-Islam. BNP standing committee member Jamiruddin Sircar told Bangla Tribune: “We believe that Hefazat-e-Islam supports Bangladeshi nationalism and can see the Awami League's lack of Islamic values which is why the BNP will always get their votes.” Senior leaders of the party also said they believe that this “illusion” of support for Islamic parties will not affect Awami League’s voter bank because the people of Qawmi madrasa will always vote for the party which was formed with Islamic values – the BNP. Senior BNP leader Shamsuzzaman Dudu said: “The government, on one hand, is suppressing the Islamic minded people by labeling them as militants while on the other hand is recognising the Dawra degree.” “The government's opportunistic position on this is very clear,” he added. BNP leaders claimed the Awami League government during its first tenure was in conflict with Qawmi madara based Islamist parties and the opposition leaders hoped Hefazat-e-Islam would not forget that period from 1996-2001. BNP Vice-Chairman Inam Ahmed Chowdhury said:  “Because the government has not detailed how the Dawra degree would be incorporated, it is a clear indication of how this was just a political decision and will never be implemented.” Speaking on how the BNP would treat madrasa graduates, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said: “We would modernise madrasa education and have these students join the workforce as the BNP does have double standards like the Awami League.” He also said the government was trying to subdue Hefazat by adhering to their demands. BNP central organizing secretary Dr Shakhawat Hossain Jibon said it was their party that first issued the circular to recognise Dawra degree. In fact, some Hefazat leaders also believe that this recognition will not bring any groundbreaking changes in the upcoming national election results. But Hefazat-e-Islam Central Organising Secretary Mawlana Azizul Haque Islamabadi said: “Every students studying in Qawmi madrasas is a citizen of this country and has a constitutional right to be recognised.”