Jamaat reacts to Shibir leader’s threat to shut down The Daily Star, Prothom Alo

Jamaat-e-Islami has said that threats issued by a leader of its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, to shut down the country's leading English daily The Daily Star and Bangla daily Prothom Alo do not reflect the party's position, adding that the matter will be looked into.

If the authenticity of the remarks is confirmed, Jamaat will instruct Chhatra Shibir to take action "in line with its own procedures, Jamaat's Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher and its Assistant Secretary General and head of the central publicity department, Ahsanul Mahbub Zubair, told The Daily Star this evening.

Zubair also said the same decision would apply to remarks made by Mostafizur Rahman, secretary of Chhatra Shibir's Jahangirnagar University (JU) unit, who allegedly said that "the leftists, Shahbaghis, Chhayanaut and Udichi must be crushed to achieve Bangladesh's true independence."

On Thursday night, during a protest march followed by a rally after the news of the death of Inqilab Moncho spokesperson Sharif Osman Bin Hadi spread, Rajshahi University Central Students' Union (Rucsu) Vice-President and Shibir leader Mostakur Rahman said, "From today's programme we declare that so-called civil newspapers, including Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, must be shut down. If any journalist from Prothom Alo or The Daily Star is present here, they should leave immediately."

Shortly before Mostakur issued the threat, Prothom Alo's office in Dhaka came under a violent attack. The attackers entered the premises, vandalised and looted it, and set it on fire. At one point, a section of the attackers also attacked The Daily Star office on Dhaka's Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue and set the building ablaze. Many staff members of The Daily Star were trapped inside. After hours of efforts, members of law enforcement agencies and the Fire Service rescued them.

The same night, addressing a rally at JU Shaheed Minar, Shibir's JU unit Secretary Mostafizur Rahman said, "It is not possible to achieve Bangladesh's true independence through political struggle. Our fight will begin through the cultural struggle of Inqilab Moncho following the martyrdom of Osman Hadi. Tomorrow (Friday), the leftists, Shahbaghis, Chhayanaut and Udichi must be crushed; only then will Bangladesh's true independence be achieved."

Following the JU Shibir leader's remarks, the Chhayanaut building in Dhaka's Dhanmondi was attacked around midnight. The attackers ransacked every floor of the building, piled up various items downstairs and set them on fire. Later, on Friday night, a fire broke out at the central office of cultural organisation Udichi Shilpigoshthi on Dhaka's Topkhana Road.

General Secretary of one faction of Udichi, Amit Ranjan Dey, claimed the fire was set deliberately.

Asked about the remarks by the two Shibir leaders, Jamaat's Nayeb-e-Ameer Taher told The Daily Star, "These are not our statements. We do not believe in these."

He added, "This has not come to my knowledge. Send me copies of the statements. I will look into the matter. I am speaking to the Shibir president."

On Friday evening, in a post on his verified Facebook page, Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman condemned the attacks on Prothom Alo and The Daily Star and called for ensuring freedom and safety of the media. Earlier on the day, in a statement, he urged that any movement be carried out peacefully and in a lawful manner.

Stressing the need for collective efforts to ensure media freedom and protection, the Jamaat chief said, "We do not want to return to the culture of overt attacks on the media as seen during the fascist era. At the same time, I call upon the media to play a responsible role at this critical moment for the country and refrain from any form of hate-driven propaganda."

Commenting further yesterday, Taher said, "The statement given by the Ameer is our position. This statement was issued after discussion."

"What they [the two Shibir leaders] have said is not within our knowledge. If such statements were made, it was a bad act," he added.

Initially responding to queries, Assistant Secretary General Zubair said, "This is not confirmed."

He also expressed doubt over whether the statements attributed to the Shibir leaders were generated using AI (artificial intelligence), saying, "I have asked for verification as to whether the statements were created using AI."

Zubair added, "If they [the two Shibir leaders] did make such statements, those are certainly not Jamaat's position. We have also said that any attack on an independent media outlet is unacceptable under any circumstances. We consider this entirely part of a conspiracy."

Asked what action would be taken if the statements are confirmed, Zubair said, "In that case, we will certainly ask Chhatra Shibir to take action in this connection."