Action after Eid

The Jamaat-e-Islami high command has instructed the grassroots to make all-out preparation for tougher agitations again after the Eid, without worrying about the High Court order declaring Jamaat's registration illegal.
In the wake of the order delivered Thursday, the high command came up with the instructions to boost morale of grassroots level activists who waged vicious protests since February against the war crimes tribunal verdicts convicting some of its top leaders.
The fierce agitation of Jamaat against the February 28 verdict in the trial of Delawar Hossain Sayedee continued for more than a week, killing over 70 people, including eight policemen.
The party's current strategy is to enforce more agitation programmes including series of hartal and road blockade after its 48-hour hartal from August 12 morning to protest the HC verdict, Jamaat leaders told The Daily Star yesterday.
Today, Jamaat men will stage countrywide demonstration to protest the verdict as per its earlier announcement.
In a statement, Jamaat acting secretary general Rafiqul Islam Khan yesterday called upon all unit leaders and workers to organise demonstrations to resist the government “conspiracy” to destroy the party.
“Central leaders asked us not to be afraid after the High Court verdict. The central leaders also told us that the government will not ban Jamaat. If the government does so, it will be suicidal," said Abu Taleb Mandal, secretary of Pabna district unit of Jamaat.
Mahbubur Rahman, secretary of Dinajpur district Jamaat, said grassroots level leaders who know less about the electoral laws became anxious about the fate of Jamaat after the HC declared illegal the party's registration with the Election Commission.
"But we are removing their anxiety through study programmes and making it clear to them that Jamaat will not be banned even if its registration is cancelled. If the government bans Jamaat, the next parliamentary election will be uncertain," he said.
Syed Abdullah Md Taher, a member of Jamaat central working council, confirmed that the high command had asked the grassroots to intensify the agitation anyhow.
He said they also communicated with the main opposition BNP and other components of the 18-party alliance seeking their support and urging them to wage anti-government agitations together.
Jamaat leaders said they will not be alone on the streets after Eid as the BNP-led 18 party alliance would start enforcing street agitation programmes to force the government to install a non-partisan election-time government.
Senior BNP leader Moudud Ahmed at a programme yesterday said the opposition alliance will go for tougher agitation programmes like hartal and road blockade.
A central Jamaat leader said different Islamic countries and like-minded international Islamic organisations expressed sympathy and anxiety after the HC verdict.
Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami chief Syed Munawwar Hassan termed the HC verdict “partial and unconstitutional” and said Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina was hatching conspiracy to distance Jamaat from the people and crush the party.
To draw sympathy from international community, Jamaat last week hosted an Iftar programme for ambassadors and high commissioners stationed in Dhaka.
In the programme, the party has described the ongoing trial of war criminals as an attempt to destroy Jamaat, a central Jamaat leader said.