Dhaka: Prime Minister’s Political Assistant Rashed Khan on Wednesday criticized the Jamaat-e-Islami for their negative evaluation of the government’s first six months in office, labeling the opposition party an ‘international champion of hypocrisy.’
According to United News of Bangladesh, Rashed Khan emphasized that before the election, Jamaat had promised their MPs would not accept various facilities. However, the Jamaat Amir later stated they had no objection if any MP personally chose to enjoy those facilities. Rashed expressed that Jamaat-e-Islami has become a symbol of hypocrisy on an international scale, not limited to Bangladesh alone. He made these remarks while speaking at a discussion in the city.
The discussion was organized by Ziaur Rahman Samajkallan Parishad, a pro-BNP body, at the National Press Club to deliberate on the July Uprising. Rashed further remarked on the necessity of evaluating both the opposition and the government’s performance over the past six months, highlighting the importance of both parties in governance.
Rashed pointed out a contradiction in Jamaat’s stance, stating that they had assured foreigners before the national election that they wouldn’t implement Sharia law if elected, despite it being a core element of their party’s charter. He criticized Jamaat for not including their commitment to implementing Sharia law in their election manifesto, calling it another example of their hypocrisy.
Regarding the current gas crisis, Rashed noted that the issues had accumulated over the last two decades and could not be resolved in just six months. He mentioned that immediately after the BNP government came to power, the Prime Minister had directed efforts towards exploring gas and promoting solar energy. However, he acknowledged the challenges in resolving longstanding problems within a short timeframe.
BNP lawmakers Humam Quader Chowdhury, Aynul Haque, and Arifa Sultana, along with Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Abdus Salam, also participated in the discussion.