‘Voting for Jamaat haram’

Hefazat-e-Islam Ameer Muhibullah Babunagari has said that it is “haram” for Muslims to vote for Jamaat-e-Islami.

“Tell all Muslims that voting for them is haram. It is not permissible,” he said, adding that refraining from voting for Jamaat was a form of jihad.

The ameer made the remarks on Thursday night at a religious programme organised marking the completion (khatm) of Bukhari Sharif at Kaziarhat Boro Madrasa in Chattogram’s Fatikchhari.

BNP-nominated candidate for Chattogram-2 (Fatik-chhari) constituency Sarwar Alamgir was seated beside him during the event.

Expressing support for the BNP candidate, the Hefazat Ameer said, “We are not voting for him directly, rather, we are carrying out jihad through him, against whom? Against Maududi’s Jamaat.”

“If we cannot strictly deprive them of votes and they come to Bangladesh, they will uproot Islam, they will destroy the foundation of Muslims. They are a group that cuts veins,” he added.

Muhibullah Babunagari has previously made several public statements against Jamaat-e-Islami, at times describing the party as “hypocritical”.

Senior Islamic scholars including Nazirhat Boro Madrasa Muhtamim Maulana Habibur Rahman Qasemi were present at the programme among others.