Top leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami arrested in Bangladesh: Reports

Top leaders of Bangladesh’s largest Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami were arrested on Monday for allegedly planning to create “political anarchy” in the country, media reports said.

Police have arrested Jamaat-e-Islami chief Maqbul Ahmed, Secretary General Shafiqur Rahman and several other top leaders of the party, bdnews reported.

Police raided a house where the Jamaat leaders met to discuss a plan to “create political anarchy”, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Detective Branch Deputy Commissioner Sheikh Nazmul Alam was quoted as saying by the report.

He said landlord Nawsher Ali was also among nine arrested during the raid. The others include former minister Mia Golam Parwar, Chittagong Jamaat chief Shahjahan, Secretary General Nazrul Islam, and Chittagong South unit chief Zafar Sadique.

Mujibur Rahman, a leader of Jamaat-e-Islami condemned the arrest, saying it was “part of a plan to leave the party leaderless after the murder of its top brass in the name of war crimes trial”.

He claimed his party was “systematic, democratic and legal” and that the leaders met informally.