Bangladesh might witness more violence: Top Islamist leader at mega Dhaka rally
In an oblique reference to the ousted regime, the party supremo said, 'From 28 October 2006, onward, all those responsible for various politically motivated 'massacres', including that of deaths of army officers in the then-paramilitary BDR border guard force and the events of July 2024, must be tried on the soil of Bangladesh."'Until visible trials begin, Bangladesh cannot move forward under the old system," said Rahman.Hasina's government had slapped a total ban on the Islamist party days ahead of her ouster on August 5, 2024, in a violent mass movement which was led by a student group and supported by several parties including the Jamaat-e-Islami. The interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus later lifted the ban.At the rally, Rahman said that the party would now spearhead a movement against corruption and extortion."We will not accept extortion, we will not engage in corruption, and we will not tolerate it," he said.If voted to power, no lawmaker or minister associated with the party would accept government plots and tax-exempt vehicles or personally handle public funds, he added.One of the major agendas of the party is to wage a campaign to introduce a proportional representation (PR) system in the national election.Senior party leader Nayeb-e-Ameer Abdullah Mohammad Taher told the rally that elections under the PR system were the most appropriate method in the current political context.Jamaat-e-Islami has distanced itself from its once crucial ally, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by former prime minister Khaleda Zia, which is opposed to the PR system.No BNP leader was seen in the rally, even though they shared power during the 2001-2006 period when the BNP led a four-party alliance government.Several other Islamist parties and leaders of the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP) attended the rally.Rahman, 66, collapsed twice while addressing the rally and was later hospitalised, according to party leaders.Media reports quoting Jamaat leaders said this first solo rally was staged after nearly a month of preparations and drew over half a million attendees. The party has previously participated in joint rallies at Suhrawardy Udyan alongside the BNP.advertisementAccording to political historians and analysts, the party, which was opposed to Bangladesh's 1971 independence from Pakistan, last tried to stage a grand rally in Paltan Maidan in the then East Pakistan ahead of the 1970 elections.But the rally broke at the midpoint as opponents, particularly activists of the now-disbanded Awami League, chased them away.'From then on or since Bangladesh's 1971 independence, Jamaat, even after the withdrawal of its ban in 1976 (imposed after the 1971 victory), could not stage a grand rally in the capital though it held numerous quickly arranged unscheduled smaller roadside public meetings,' political writer Shamsuddin Ahmed Peara said.- EndsMust Watch
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- Time of India
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News18
2 hours ago
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Last Updated: The panel also reiterated its criticism of global media coverage of the Pahalgam attack, accusing outlets of downplaying what it called a clear act of terrorism The US Republican Majority on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs has welcomed the designation of Pakistan-based The Resistance Front (TRF) as a global terrorist outfit. The group, which the US designated as a proxy of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) in its announcement, was labelled both a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). 'The Resistance Front is a foreign terrorist organization and deserves the designation," the committee's official X handle posted. 'When you butcher civilians, you don't get a pass—you get JUSTICE." President Trump calls it like it is. The Resistance Front is a foreign terrorist organization and deserves the you butcher civilians, you don't get a pass—you get JUSTICE. — House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority (@HouseForeignGOP) July 19, 2025 The announcement was made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, less than three months after the April 22 massacre in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where TRF claimed responsibility for the killing of 26 civilians. It was one of the deadliest attacks targeting civilians in the region in recent years. The Resistance Front first emerged in Kashmir in 2019, shortly after the abrogation of Article 370. It was widely seen as an attempt by Lashkar-e-Tayyiba to rebrand its operations under a new name to avoid global scrutiny. Since then, TRF has claimed responsibility for several attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, many of which have targeted off-duty security personnel, civilians from outside the region, and minority communities. The FTO and SDGT designations trigger sweeping measures including financial sanctions, asset freezes, visa bans, and criminal penalties for those providing any form of material support to the group. TRF, the State Department noted, serves as a front for LeT, an internationally proscribed terror group, and operates to obscure the latter's direct involvement in attacks. Indian authorities have repeatedly raised concerns over such proxy outfits being used to bypass global sanctions. On July 19, the committee also cited its earlier post from April 23, in which it had criticised international media coverage of the Pahalgam attack — particularly a New York Times headline that read: 'At Least 24 Tourists Gunned Down by Militants in Kashmir." At the time, the committee had responded with a corrected graphic, replacing the word 'militants" with 'terrorists" in bold red, writing: 'Hey, @nytimes, we fixed it for you. This was a terrorist attack plain and simple. Whether it's India or Israel, when it comes to terrorism, the NYT is removed from reality." Reposting that on July 19, the committee reaffirmed: 'It was a terrorist attack — simple and straightforward." It was a terrorist attack—simple and straightforward. — House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority (@HouseForeignGOP) July 19, 2025 The House Foreign Affairs Committee is a permanent committee in the US House of Representatives. It handles bills and investigations related to America's foreign relations. The latest US action is expected to bolster international scrutiny of Pakistan-based terror proxies, particularly at forums like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), where the country's counterterror commitments remain under watch. India welcomed the US decision, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar describing it as a 'strong affirmation" of India-US counter-terror cooperation. 'Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF—a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy—as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Zero tolerance for Terrorism. #OpSindoor," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar posted on X. Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: July 21, 2025, 12:46 IST News world 'You Don't Get A Pass, You Get Justice': US House Foreign Affairs Panel Hails TRF Terror Tag Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
