Jamaat calls hartal for Monday

Jamaat-e-Islami has called a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal (shutdown) for Monday protesting an International Crimes Tribunal's punishment against its three leaders for making "provocative" and "derogatory" remarks about the tribunal.

"We urge everyone to observe a dawn-to-dusk hartal tomorrow to protest wholesale arrests and torture of Jamaat leaders and activists across the country and a government conspiracy to destroy Jamaat," the party's acting chief Mokbul Ahmed said in a press release Sunday afternoon.

The announcement came a few hours after the ICT-2 jailed Jamaat leaders Hamidur Rahman Azad and Rafiqul Islam Khan for three months.

The tribunal also made Selim Uddin, Jamaat assistant secretary general of Dhaka city unit, sit in the courtroom during the proceedings for the similar offence.

Convicted Hamidur Rahman Azad is a lawmaker elected with Jamaat ticket from Cox’s Bazar-2 constituency while Rafiqul Islam Khan is acting secretary general of the party.

Hamidur Rahman Azad MP (L) and Rafiqul Islam Khan received 3-month jail Sunday for making derogatory comments about International Crimes Tribunal. Star file photo.

The tribunal also fined the Jamaat leaders Tk 3,000 each, in default, to suffer two weeks more imprisonment.

The two, who are absconding arrest, were tried in absentia.

Earlier on June 2, Selim sought unconditional apology for his comments.

The tribunal initiated contempt proceedings against the Jamaat leaders on April 21.

Acting on reports published in The Daily Star and Bangla daily Prothom Alo, the tribunal, on February 7, asked the three to explain why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against them for their remarks at a rally three days ago.

On March 6, the court ordered police to arrest the Jamaat leaders and produce them before the court for “deliberately avoiding” appearance before the tribunal in connection with the contempt of court ruling.

Selim was arrested following issuance of arrest warrant by the tribunal while Rafiqul and Hamidur, also a central executive council member, are on the run.

The Prothom Alo quoted Selim Uddin as saying; “There is no scope for the controversial tribunal to deliver any verdict if the country is to be saved from a civil war.”

The daily quoted Azad as saying at the same programme, “This tribunal cannot exist anymore.”