Justice Party, a new name for Jamaat!
Hannan Amir, Razzak Secretary General
Jamaat is on the verge of a split. Five of the party's top leaders are in the dock for crimes against humanity and it is almost certain they will be sentenced. In order to shrug off the this stigma, the younger and moderate leaders of the party plan to reorganize the party and give it a new name – Justice Party. Shah Abdul Hannan and Barrister Razzak are to take leadership of the party.
Five top leaders of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami are now facing charges of crimes against humanity. The International Crime Tribunal has almost completed investigations against the imprisoned Jamaat leaders – the party's Amir Moulana Matiur Rahman Nizami; Naib-e-Amir Delwar Hossain Sayeedi; Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mujahid; and Assistant Secretary General Abdul Qader Mollah. The trial against them will start shortly. It is likely that these leaders, as well as Golam Azam, will all be sentenced to punishment. This has given rise to two divisions within the party leadership as to who will then take over the reins.
Actually even before the leaders were arrested, conflict had arisen between the old conservatives and the younger, relatively modern leaders. The younger leaders felt that the entire party was having to bear the brunt of war crime accusations leveled against a handful of the leaders. Also, the conservative mindset of the older leaders was a deterrent for the general people to be drawn to the party. That is why the younger leaders had been calling for a change in leadership, but no heed was paid to their demands. After all, the majority of the party's leaders and workers around the country supported the old leaders.
If the senior leaders are eventually sentenced, the younger and moderate leaders will want to make use of this opportunity to give the party a facelift and clear it of its negative image. They may even consider a change of name for the party.
Sources within the party say that Jamaat-e-Islami may be given the new name of Justice Party. This has not been finalized as yet and they might come up with a new name. The "new and improved" party may then see former Secretary of the Bangladesh government Shah Abdul Hannan as its Amir and Barrister Abdur Razzak and Secretary General.
Speaking to PROBE, Barrister Razzak dismisses such speculations as mere rumours. He says there is still a long way off for Jamaat's party elections. The members will then decide on the leadership during the election. The election is held in December every year.
In the meantime, the Bar Council has not given its approval to the foreign lawyers appointed by Jamaat to fight their cases. Barrister Razzak says, "We have appealed to the High Court, but have our doubts about the outcome of our appeal."
http://www.probenewsmagazine.com/index.php?index=2&contentId=7280
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