WorldPosted at: Sep 18 2026 10:11PM


Bangladesh Law Minister claims Jamaat accepts its role in Liberation War was wrong

Dhaka, Sep 18 (UNI) Bangladesh Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman has claimed that Jamaat-e-Islami had indirectly accepted that its role and position during the 1971 Liberation War were wrong.
The minister said Jamaat had sought the removal of its name from the legal definition of those who opposed Pakistani forces during the Liberation War, but none of the party's lawmakers voted against the amended legislation when it was passed in parliament.
"Jamaat indirectly accepted that role in 1971 by not voting 'no', by participating in the parliamentary process," Asaduzzaman said.
He said the National Freedom Fighters Council Act 2022 defined freedom fighters as those who opposed and fought against the Pakistan Army, Pakistani occupying forces and groups including Razakar, Al-Badr, Jamaat-e-Islami, Muslim League and Nezam-e-Islami Party during the struggle for Bangladesh's independence.
The law was amended in 2025, with the issue discussed during the 2026 parliamentary process. Asaduzzaman said Jamaat had asked whether its name could be removed from the definition.
"We said we cannot deny the historical truth," he said.
Following discussions, the wording was changed to refer to "then Jamaat-e-Islami", "then Muslim League" and "then Nezam-e-Islam", according to the minister.
The amended legislation was subsequently placed before parliament, where lawmakers could vote for or against it. Asaduzzaman said no Jamaat lawmaker voted against the measure.
"No member of Jamaat-e-Islami voted 'no' on this. This is recorded. Jamaat did not vote 'no'," he said.
The minister also referred to a statement drafted by Razzaq in 2016 calling on Jamaat to acknowledge its role in 1971 and apologise to the nation.
"If Jamaat had signed Razzaq Sahib's statement in 2016, many questions concerning Jamaat would have been resolved," he said. Razzaq had made repeated efforts to persuade Jamaat's leadership to issue an apology over the party's position during the Liberation War, according to accounts surrounding his posthumous memoir.
Asaduzzaman said he disagreed with Razzaq's views on establishing an Islamic state but praised the values, political ideas and social outlook reflected in the book. He described it as an "encyclopedia of a living person", saying it reflected how Razzaq viewed society and developed his philosophy of life.
The minister also criticised the absence of Jamaat's senior lawyers and leaders from the event, saying they could have attended the event and personally challenged the arguments presented in the book.
"This is democracy. You do not have to agree with everything Razzaq Sahib says, just as it is not right that you cannot accept his criticism," he said.
He noted that the book also contains criticism of the BNP, saying differing opinions and criticism had to be accommodated in a democratic society.
"If we cannot accommodate this, we will not be able to move forward with society," he said.
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