Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Tuesday, May 27, alleged that six top leaders of his party were victims of so-called ‘judicial killings’ through fabricated cases under Sheikh Hasina’s autocratic rule.

“During Sheikh Hasina’s authoritarian regime, our six top leaders were executed through false cases in what can only be described as manipulated judicial killings. Many other leaders and activists were also brutally murdered. During the mass movement of 2024, numerous people were mercilessly martyred,” he said.

The Jamaat amir came up with the remarks while speaking at a press conference at the meeting room of Diploma Engineers` Institute in Dhaka following the acquittal of Jamaat leader ATM Azharul Islam.

Dr Shafiqur Rahman claimed that the trials were marred by gross irregularities and forgery. “There were calls from various quarters for ensuring fair justice, but those were ignored as the true intention was to eliminate our leadership. The judiciary was used to orchestrate their deaths.”

He further alleged that the party’s leaders were subjected to torture in `safe homes` and were harassed through false charges. “Attempts were made to coerce false confessions from many of our leaders. But they remained steadfast in faith and refused to bow to falsehood,” the Jamaat Amir said.

Referring to the case of witness Sukharanjan Bali, he said Bali was allegedly abducted from the court premises after appearing to testify in favour of Azharul Islam. “International legal standards were not followed in these trials. The entire process was a mockery of justice—what we call ‘genocide justice’,” the Jamaat leader said.

“If we get the opportunity to serve the nation, we will eliminate the politics of vengeance and build a just and equitable society… had our senior leaders been alive today, they could have played a vital role during this critical juncture of the nation,” he said.

Source: UNB