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Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar alleged on Sunday that Major (retd) Akhtaruzzaman was denied court bail solely due to blatant executive interference in judicial proceedings.
Speaking at a press briefing at the party’s central office in Maghbazar to protest the imprisonment of the freedom fighter and former lawmaker in what he termed a fabricated case, Parwar asserted that arresting Akhtaruzzaman for protesting administrative mismanagement at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport was no ordinary occurrence, arguing it could not have transpired without explicit directives from top policymakers. He claimed the arrest stemmed directly from political vengeance following Akhtaruzzaman's decision to join Jamaat-e-Islami.
Addressing the airport episode, Parwar highlighted how common travelers face acute luggage delays of several hours and chronic shortages of baggage trolleys. He explained that Akhtaruzzaman merely questioned airport authorities regarding these irregularities, yet was subsequently slapped with criminal charges and detained. Despite the offenses falling strictly under bailable categories, his bail petition was summarily rejected by the court.
Parwar further criticized the relevant government minister for visiting the airport at midnight and allegedly distorting facts before the nation, thereby breaching his oath of office. "A principled minister would have taken punitive action against negligent officials, recalled them, or filed cases against them," Parwar said, alleging that the airport official who originally apologized for the operational failures was coerced into lodging the lawsuit against Akhtaruzzaman. Parwar also condemned parading the 75-year-old decorated freedom fighter before the court in handcuffs, a helmet, and a protective flak jacket.
The Jamaat leader expressed severe concern over the court's refusal to grant prison division status to Akhtaruzzaman despite official gazettes confirming his status as a freedom fighter and former member of parliament. He noted that the elderly, ailing leader has been denied adequate medical attention while intimidated judges fear political repercussions. Furthermore, Parwar accused pro-BNP lawyers of instigating courtroom mob violence, assaulting Akhtaruzzaman's defense team, family members, and visiting activists, remarking that current BNP cadres behave identically to the deposed Awami League fascist regime.
Warning that non-resident Bangladeshi remittance earners are enraged and considering a "remittance shutdown" over the arrest, Parwar demanded Akhtaruzzaman’s immediate, unconditional release. The briefing was attended by Assistant Secretaries General Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan MP, Maulana Abdul Halim, and Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair; Central Executive Council member Mubarak Hossain; Dhaka South Ameer Nurul Islam Bulbul MP; Dhaka North Ameer Mohammad Salim Uddin; and Assistant Secretary Yasin Arafat.
