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Justice for Iftekhar Jamil

Civil Liberty

  

Image: Iftekhar Jamil, 23 years old Activist

Iftekhar Jamil, a young scholar-cum-activist has been arrested by Bangladesh police three days ago without any prior charge. Initially his family has not been informed where police kept him. When I heard about the news today I was shocked. Because I am afraid to even imagine if Iftekhar become another victim of so-called ‘cross fire’, the extra-judicial killing excuse of Police. But, thanks God that police has taken him to court today. (NTV, 07 August 2016) 

I came to know Jamil from last year in Facebook. Jamil is a Hefeez of Quran and Recently completed his graduation from Jamiya Arabia Madrasa of Dhaka.  His father is an Imam of Lalbag shahi mosque. He came from a very religious family.

My affinity for Jamil is not because he is religious but his deeper understanding of many crises Bangladesh facing right time. In Bangladesh we have witnessed the rise of violent extremism in the name of Islam. Some radical Islamist are doing heinous crime in the name of Islam. Jamil has deeper study on the various topic including philosophy, theology and radical Islamism.

Jamil express his thoughts in Facebook mainly. He also maintain a website. His status are not cheap intellectuality rather provide different perspective. I don’t necessarily agree everything he says but I admire his critical thinking, ability to go beyond popular narratives that usually lacks in our national discourse.

Jamil has a wide reading. Despite the fact that he is a Madrasa student, his reading cross the boundary. He read Marxism, western philosophy, literature and history etc that reflects in his writings. His understanding and quest for knowledge lead him to go many places including Dhaka University. He often used to engage in dialogued with people from other ideology. Fro example, Parvez Alam, a young left activist from Bangladesh wrote today in his facebook that Jamil went to attend a book inaugural ceremony in Dhaka University last year.  Parvez Alam said they have many different of opinion but Jamil doesn’t deserve police disappearance for his view.

Jamil is vocal, active, critic of current regime for their human rights abuse and targeting innocent religious people. But at the same time he is vocal against radical Salafism. In our discussion I found Jamil is an open minded, bright young scholar who doesn’t promote violence.

Jamil is a fighter with pen not arm. But Bangladesh government is using all it’s method to silence any critic. Jamil is the latest victim. Police took him for three day and now Court granted one day remand. Now they will frame various stories and ask for bribe that usually they do. But Jamil came from an ordinary family. His father is a low earning Imam. Don’t know they have means to please police demand.

I strongly appeal to government to stop harassing innocent people like Jamil. In a time of crises when radical Islamist targeting innocent people, government should not victimize those who has potential to face extreme views with deeper knowledge and understanding and guide others.
 

I want justice for Jamil and his immediate release.

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