[vinnomot] Honesty the Jamaat-style!

[Note: This essay was written in May 2007.]

 

Honesty the Jamaat-style!

 

By Jahed Ahmed

 

"We demand the implementation of the (divine) law of Allah and the rule of honest people" (Allar ayin chai, sot loker shason chai). For years, this has been the highly publicized official pre-election slogan of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh , as if "honest people" and Jamaat were synonymous. It is not known if Jamaat ever suffered from any moral predicament to lure common Muslim voters in the name of Allah and an fake image of fonesty. But after the takeover of the current caretaker government (CTG), things have changed, although not always in an acclaimed manner. One good thing happened under the rule of CTG is that—many deliberately hidden/suppressed stories of corruption of so called VIPs, politicians, bureaucrats have been exposed before the commoners in an unprecedented way. Amidst awe and shock, we saw what we never saw before; we heard what we were not allowed to hear in the past. One such horrifying experience is to learn about the corruption of so called "honest people of Allah" belonging to the party Jamaat-e- Islami, a partner of the government until a few months ago.

 

Many leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami alongside those of AL/BNP in Bangladesh have been charged with the abuse of power, bribery and other irregularities. In one such case, Jamaat's chief leader (ameer), Maolana Matiur Rahman Nizami himself has been reported to be involved. According to the newspaper report, during his term as an industry minister, Mr Nizami has made five points based "strong recommendations" (to translate his original Bangla comments written on the file), thus favoring and facilitating his nephew Mr Bakibul's company to get a contract without any need for a tender. Using his uncle Nizami's influence, Mr Bakibul's company wanted to buy the equipments, irons and other items of the Chittagong Still Mill after its closure. Although Mr Bakibul didn't succeed to the end in his illegal purchase; he, however, managed to misappropriate a big chunk of money—about taka 25,00000.00 (twenty lakhs taka). That's what Bakibul's business partner told the newspaper. Quite amazingly, upon being asked for an explanation, Mr Nizami recalled the incident but tried to defend himself saying he did it (making recommendations for his nephew) in "plain faith." Probably Mr Nizami thinks, people of this country are too gullible. Or else he should have known, as a minister from a party that capitalizes the names of "Allah" and pseudo image of "honesty," it was not just first time he did an illegal and unethical deed in "plain faith." Back in 2004, according to a report published in Weekly 2000 (May 25, 2004) Nizami specially favored two persons of his known circle—one Mr Rafikun Nabi of Nizami's home district Pabna and another Dr. Sultan Ahmed, a Jamaat leader—who illegally occupied at least two acres land of Dhaka City Corporation in Mirpur-1 under the signboard Crescent Holdings.  

          

How are Jamaat supporters reacting to Nizami and other Jamaat leaders' corruption cases? I wonder. With Nizami's admission of the incident, they are not left with many choices of alternative explanations. Will their explanation of the incident be same as it has been whenever they were/are asked why they accepted a woman's leadership although once they were always against it? "Sometimes you got to compromise when a broader interest is involved," said most Jamaat supporters/leaders I asked personally. What if, this time common people of Bangladesh raise their voice and demand: CTG start its anti-corruption drive first with those who have been indulging in corruption by selling the name of "Allah" and fake image of "honesty"? And doing so, I am sure, would neither mean a "compromise," nor any narrow "interest."        

 

New York

May 10, 2007

 

About the author: Jahed Ahmed is the co-moderator and editorial board member of mukto-mona.com, an online network of South Asian humanists.

 

References:

 

1. Daily Prothom Alo editorial (May 09, 2007)
2. Weekly 2000 (June 25, 2004)
   

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