The rank and file of the Jamaat-e-Islami seemed content with the Supreme Court verdict that commuted party Nayeb-e-Ameer Delawar Hossain Sayedee’s death sentence to ‘imprisonment until death’ yesterday.
This correspondent butted into the informal conversation of several Jamaat-e-Islami leaders who appeared to be relaxed after the verdict.
They, however, did not explicitly express their pleasure.
A former president of the Islami Chhatra Shibir, also now a central leader of Jamaat, was found at his office in Paltan having fun with some other party leaders and activists.
This was in contrast to the display of emotions following the death sentence of Jamaat central leader Abdul Quader Molla where this correspondent found the same people frustrated and dejected.
When this correspondent asked one of them about the significance of calling hartal as the death sentence was reduced to “imprisonment until death” he quipped: “You journalists know everything. Why are you asking. Don’t you understand?”
Another one said: “Hartal was called for hartal’s sake. We just had to call it.”
On the other hand when the Dhaka Tribune asked for their reaction over the judgement they expressed dissatisfaction over the verdict.
The Jamaat-e-Islami yesterday in a press release called countrywide shut-downs on Thursday and Sunday each for 24 hours demanding Sayedee’s unconditional release.
A central Jamaat leader in return for anonymity said the party central committee instructed their leaders and activists to stage only demonstrations and hold rallies and not to engage in clashes with law enforcers. The party’s lenient attitude is contrary to the violent protest that erupted soon after death sentence pronounced by the tribunal against Sayedee on February 28 in 2013.
On 28 February 2013 when the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) announced the verdict against Sayedee, Jamaat-Shibir men ran amok across the country. Communications between 16 districts and 33 upazilas and the capital remained snapped.
According to government officials, at least 37 people died in the unprecedented violence on the first day and several dozens more including six law enforcers in the next few days while the Jamaat put the number to 200.
Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, a central leader of the party said: “Our supporters and activists believe that our party leaders are totally innocent. They are being indicted due to political vendetta.”