Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Shomajtontro (talk | contribs) at 04:38, 28 August 2006. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Motiur Rahman Nizami (Bengali: মতিউর রহমান নিজামী) is the current president of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, the largest Islamic party in Bangladesh. Nizami is also a cabinet minister in the current government of Bangladesh, after supporting the four party alliance win the 2001 election. He is one of the 18 MPs in this term who won the 2001 elections from the party of Jaamat.

Career

Motiur Rahman Nizami has long been an Islamist activist in Bangladesh. He and his party, the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh believe in establishing a state based on Islamic laws known as Sha'ria. Nizami has long been accused of involvement in the spiralling terrorist activites in Bangladesh, most notably the nationwide series of bombings of August 17 2005. Nizami has claimed innocence, even though almost all of the arrested suspects had, at one time, links with the student wing of Nizami's party (Islami Chhatra Shibir).

Role in 1971

Nizami's role in the Bangladesh Liberation War makes him one of the most controversial politicians and religious leaders in Bangladesh today. He is notorious for his collaboration with the Pakistan occupation forces in 1971, and as the chief of the Al-Badr vigilante group, it is likely that he was fully aware of the group's activities (which included arson, terror, kidnapping and execution) and gave direction to its members.

Nizami is accused of having drawn up hit lists of prominent pro-independence intellectuals and Hindus, many of whom disappeared during 1971 never to be found, and others who were later found dead.

Nizami has never denied his active role in seeking to preserve Pakistani rule over Bangladesh, and has insisted that his position was politically justified.