| Jamaat in tight corner after graft charge against Nizami Rashidul Hasan For the first time since the present government assumed power, Jamaat-e-Islami finds itself in troubled waters following the Anti-Corruption Commission's (ACC) approval of charge sheet against its Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami along with 23 others in the Gatco case.
Its executive committee, the highest decision-making body, meets today to decide how to respond to the latest developments, party insiders said.
Talking to The Daily Star last night, Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, senior assistant secretary general of Jamaat, said, "The approval of charge sheet against our ameer is certainly a big issue for us."
He however said the organisation is not facing any crisis for that.
He claimed that none of them including the two former ministers were ever involved in corruption. The ACC charge sheet is part of the government plans for “depoliticisation” and barring some politicians from contesting the election, he added.
Queried what they would do in the changed context, Kamaruzzaman said, "We will discuss the party's plan of action at the executive council meeting today."
Sources said the Jamaat leaders might also discuss appointment of an acting ameer to fill in for Nizami in the event of his arrest.
The senior assistant secretary general of Jamaat observed that by okaying the charge sheet against Nizami, the ACC has in fact called into question sincerity of the ongoing anti-graft drive.
Asked if they would participate in the dialogue with the government, he said the executive council would take a decision on the matter.
Secretary General of Jamaat and former minister Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed said the charge sheet against Nizami is nothing but harassment.
The ACC on May 8 approved the charge sheet against detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko and 22 others for illegally awarding Gatco the container handling work at inland container depots in Dhaka and Chittagong.
Earlier on February 26, the anti-graft body filed a case against Khaleda and 15 others including two top Jamaat leaders--Nizami and Mojaheed--for graft in awarding Barapukuria coal mine operation contract to a Chinese company. | |