Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman organized an Iftar party in honor of diplomats of various countries in Bangladesh at Hotel Westin in Gulshan, capital Dhaka on Saturday (March 8, 2025) at 5 pm.
The Iftar party was attended by British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Ms. Sarah Cook, French Ambassador Ms. Marie Masdupi, Chinese Ambassador Mr. Ye Wen, Russian Ambassador Alexander Giri Goriovis Kozin, Australian High Commissioner Ms. Susan Reilly, European Union Ambassador Mikael Miller, Iranian Ambassador Mr. Mansur Chavoshi, Turkish Ambassador Mr. Ramis Sen, US Political Affairs James A. Stewart, Pakistani High Commissioner Mr. Syed Ahmed Maruf, Japan’s Deputy Chief of Mission Takahashi Naoki and First Secretary Minami Tomo, South Korean Ambassador, Morocco, Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, India, Bhutan, Singapore, Brunei, Denmark, Malaysia, Iraq, Vatican City, Canada, Brazil, Algeria, Kosovo, UN Human Rights Representative, Resident Representative of IRI and NDP, and diplomats from various countries participated.
Other leaders of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami were present at the Iftar party, including the organization’s Nayeb-e-Ameer and former MP Dr. Syed Abdullah Md. Taher and Maulana Anam Shamsul Islam, Secretary General and former MP Professor Mia Golam Parwar, Assistant Secretary General Maulana ATM Masum, Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan, Mr. Hamidur Rahman Azad, Maulana Abdul Halim, Advocate Moazzam Hossain Helal, Ed. Ehsanul Mahbub Jobair, Central Executive Council Member Mr. Saiful Alam Khan Milon, Mr. Abdur Rab and Principal Md. Izzat Ullah, Central Executive Council Member, Secretary of the Central Publicity and Media Department Ed. Matiur Rahman Akand, Central Executive Council Member, Dhaka Metropolitan South Ameer Mr. Nurul Islam Bulbul, Central Executive Council Member and Dhaka Metropolitan North Ameer Mr. Md. Selim Uddin, Central Executive Council Member Mr. Mubarak Hossain, Central Working Committee Member and Dhaka Metropolitan South Secretary Dr. Shafiqul Islam Masud, Central Working Committee Member and Dhaka Metropolitan North Secretary Dr. Rezaul Karim, Central Working Committee Member and Office Secretary Maulana AFM Abdus Sattar, Foreign Affairs Advisor to Ameer-e-Jamaat Professor Dr. Mahmudul Hasan Chowdhury and Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir Central President Mr. Zahidul Islam and Secretary General Mr. Nurul Islam Saddam, among others.
Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, in his brief speech congratulating the diplomats present at the Iftar party, said, “First of all, we would like to express our gratitude to Almighty Allah, who has given us the opportunity to organize this Iftar party after 11 long years. Jamaat-e-Islami had long maintained the tradition of Iftar parties in honor of our foreign friends. But since 2014, the Awami League government has not allowed us to organize Iftar parties. Even though we booked venues and invited guests for some events, we finally had to cancel those events due to government obstacles. Today, we are once again welcoming you to this prestigious Iftar party. At the same time, we respectfully remember all the martyrs and victims of the July Revolution, due to whose sacrifices Bangladesh has been freed from dictatorship for the second time.”
He further said, “We have come together at a time when the entire Muslim world is enjoying the greatness of the holy Ramadan. Ramadan is not just a month of fasting, it is a month of self-purification, self-restraint and self-sacrifice. By observing fast, we understand the suffering of the poor and needy so that the seeds of compassion are sown in our hearts. Refraining from food and drink from dawn to sunset is not just a physical exercise; rather, it helps us purify the soul, strengthen our relationship with Allah and fulfill our commitment to justice.
The Holy Quran was revealed in this month. This book is a guide to the liberation of humanity and a book that distinguishes between truth and falsehood. In this month, we try to achieve the highest qualities of patience, gratitude and generosity. By performing Tarawih prayers, reciting the Quran and giving charity, we develop a sense of responsibility.
It is very important to establish democracy in Bangladesh, so that tolerance and mutual harmony are maintained among the various political forces. Since its inception, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has been committed to a democratic system. Jamaat played an important role in the anti-dictatorship movement of the 1990s. Jamaat proposed a caretaker government system to ensure free, fair and acceptable elections and created public opinion in favor of it. But the Awami League government of the last 15 years has made all kinds of attempts to suppress Jamaat. Five top leaders of Jamaat have been hanged. Six leaders have been brutally killed in prison or police custody, and thousands of leaders and activists have been killed, many have been disappeared and many have been permanently disabled. Despite this cruelty, Jamaat-e-Islami and its student organization Islami Chhatra Shibir played a historic role in the July Revolution. In the post-revolutionary period, the leaders and activists of the organization have made important contributions to ensuring law and order, security of religious places of worship and protection of life and property of the common people.
The current interim government has undertaken reforms in various state structures to ensure that Bangladesh never loses its way again. Jamaat-e-Islami welcomes this reform initiative and has already provided various suggestions and recommendations. In particular, we have expressed strong opinions in favor of introducing a proportional representation (PR) electoral system in Bangladesh. We believe that this system will accurately reflect the views of the people and will also prevent the return of fascist rule. In addition, we have also raised the demand for the inclusion of millions of expatriate Bangladeshis in the voter list. We hope that the interim government will respond to our call and take necessary steps.”
The Jamaat Ameer further said, “We believe that a fair political system is essential for sustainable peace and development. Our responsibility is to give importance to the views of every citizen, ensure representation of every community and give equal opportunities to everyone in building the country. Jamaat-e-Islami firmly believes that there is no such thing as a majority or minority in Bangladesh. Every citizen of this country has equal rights.
“I sincerely thank you for attending your Iftar party. We are encouraged by your participation in this Iftar party. Let us strengthen our mutual relations and establish peace, justice and equality throughout the world.”
