Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher on Tuesday accused members of the Awami League of attempting to exploit the national tragedy surrounding the Uttara fighter jet crash for political purposes.
Speaking after a round of reform talks hosted by the National Consensus Commission (NCC) at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, Taher warned that any effort to destabilize the country under the cover of public grief would be met with firm resistance.
“The nation has been mourning since Monday,” Taher told reporters. “But it is being heard — though we are not fully certain yet — that some within the Awami League are trying to make things worse.”
He pointed to incidents of unrest at Milestone School and around the Secretariat as examples of growing tension. “We stand with the bereaved families. But if they [Awami League] are using this moment to create disorder, then we, along with others, will resist, just as we did in the past,” he said, referring to the spirit of the July-August mass movement.
Dr Taher declined to delve into the Awami League’s past actions over its 15-year rule but insisted that any group “defeated and ousted” should not expect a return to national politics through manipulation.
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The remarks follow a tragic crash on Monday involving a military aircraft near Milestone School and College in Uttara, which killed several people and injured dozens more, sparking protests from students and drawing nationwide attention.
Jamaat leaders have since visited the injured. Taher said party representatives, including the Ameer, personally met with victims and their families and offered help.
“We pray for those who lost their lives and extend our deepest sympathy to the families,” he said. “The injured must receive proper medical care.”
While Jamaat is making claims, the Awami League isn’t biting. The government has its hands full trying to calm student protests and get things back to normal after several days of chaos in the capital and beyond.
