New Delhi: India has perked up its ears after a statement by Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami Naib-e-Amir Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher regarding revenge for the defeat in the 1971 Liberation War. The deputy chief of the JeI(B) also spoke of ‘Ghazwatul Hind’, or a “Holy War” against India, much on the lines of terror outfits in Pakistan.
At least 5 million youth will participate in this war against India, Taher said at a public reception held by the Bangladesh American Association (COBA) in New York on Saturday.
“Many say that if Jamaat comes to power, India may attack. I say, I pray that they enter. This will erase the bad name that was imposed on us in 1971. We will then have the opportunity to prove ourselves as true freedom fighters,” he said.
He also claimed that if India attacks, the Jamaat will be the only force that will resist as ‘true freedom fighters’. “Our five million young people will be divided into two groups. One group will participate in guerrilla warfare, while the rest will spread out over a wide area and wage resistance,” he added.
Referring to the hadith of the Prophet regarding the Ghazwa, he said this war would be part of their grand plan.
Such statements by the JeI(B) were not taken seriously by India till recently. However, the organisation has grown in strength in Bangladesh since former prime minister Sk Hasina’s ouster in August 2024. A few days ago, the Islami Chhatra Shibir, Jamaat’s students’ wing won all top seats in the Dhaka University Students’ Union elections.
This victory sent shock waves through the ranks and files of even Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), a staunch opponent of Hasina and her Awami League.
The Jamaat in Bangladesh had collaborated with the Pakistan Army during the country’s Liberation War of 1971. AKM Yusuf, a top leader of the JeI(B) was known to have formed the Razakar Force that targeted Hindus and Bengali nationalists during the War.
While the Jamaat’s activities did not end totally, they were kept largely under control by Hasina during her nearly 15 year stint as prime minister of Bangladesh. General elections in Bangladesh are due early next year and if the Jamaat does come to power, concerns will grow for India.
