Jamaate-e-Islami’s foul propaganda centering 2023 general elections in Bangladesh

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Within the next 19 months, by December 2023, Bangladesh will be holding the next general elections, which is expected to be held in a festive atmosphere with participation of all political parties. The Bangladesh government is sincerely willing to hold a free and fair election.

During the past 13-plus years, Bangladesh, under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has significantly changed towards a very positive direction. As stated by the US ambassador to Bangladesh, Peter Haas:

Bangladesh is now one of the fastest growing economies in the Indo-Pacific.  You are preparing for graduation from Least Developed Country status and racing ahead toward middle income status.

This change brings about a new dynamic.  Simply put, the United States conducts diplomacy with major economies and with regional leaders differently.

Indeed, Bangladesh is now seen as an economic star by the international community, it is well assumed that the 2023 general elections in Bangladesh will attract substantial attention of the international community. We need to remember – Bangladesh is no longer an unimportant and economically disadvantaged country. We are gradually emerging into a regional economic power and a glowing role model to the world.

As Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government are sincerely willing to hold a free, fair and credible general elections in Bangladesh in 2023, pro-jihadist Jamaat-e-Islami has already started notorious propaganda with the evil desire of misleading the international community and global media. Leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami are aware of the fact that the majority of the people of Bangladesh, despite being religious, do not endorse religion in politics. They have always been defying political Islam. This is the reason for the Islamist and religion-based political forces in the country of bagging extremely nominal votes both in the local government and national elections. For Jamaat-e-Islami, or for pro-Islamist parties such as Jatiyo Party, they too are aware of this “disadvantageous situation”.

Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami has started hiring some journalists and writers in foreign countries with the assignment of spreading rumors of a number of their leader’s family members [of war criminal] being “picked-up” by law enforcement agencies and “locked into secret custody”. Recently, a pro-Jamaat propaganda outlet – Netra News, which surprisingly receives over US$ 700,000 grant from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) in a report has made such a false claim.

People behind Netra News, a dubious organization funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), have been using funds provided by NED in implementing their vendetta against Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Awami League and other top officials of the country.

Tasneem Khalil, the Editor-in-Chief of Netra News was an activist of pro-Caliphate Hizbut Tahrir when he was a student of North South University in Bangladesh. Subsequently Khalil was picked-up by Qatari terror broadcast network Al Jazeera and since been promoted by this dubious outlet.

According to credible sources, Tasneem Khalil maintains connections with terror-funder and INTERPOL wanted convicted criminal Shahid Uddin Khan, and individuals such as Zulkarnain Saer Khan, Mina Farah and others.

To our knowledge, the Goebbels-patterned propaganda of Jamaat-e-Islami and their hired cronies are outrageously false and baseless. No one is in any “secret” custody in Bangladesh. These rumors are being cooked by Jamaat and the propagandist Goebbels. Recently, Jamaat’s propaganda was echoed by British journalist David Bergman, who quoting an unnamed Bangladeshi “official” claimed that “secretly detained” Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and family members of war criminals “shall be released.

Bergman also claimed, “some diplomats have told BNP politicians that they are using the Bangladesh government’s fear of sanctions to exert pressure on the government to democratize and hold free and fair elections”. While he sounded delighted at unjust US sanctions on the members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Bergman expressed dismay at no more sanctions on Bangladesh by the United Kingdom and other European Union countries.

He wrote: “Following the December 2021 US sanctions, the Bangladesh government has escaped any additional sanctions from other countries and it is understood that the UK government has told at least some Bangladesh officials that it will not be sanctioning any Bangladesh officials”.

David Bergman, instead of appreciating Bangladesh government’s decision of holding a free and fair elections in 2023 has rather claimed that the government has taken this decision due to pressure “coming from outside Bangladesh”.

According to a credible source, individuals like David Bergman are making frantic bids in giving provocations to Western governments, especially the US authorities in exerting pressure by using the US Global Magnitsky Act 2016, which allows sanctions for individuals involved in human rights, corruption and democratic violations. This Act was introduced through an executive order. The United Kingdom, Australia, and the European Union also enacted similar provisions.

David Bergman and Jamaat-e-Islami’s Goebbels want the United States, the United Kingdom, EU, and Australia to blackmail the Bangladesh government with threats of such laws.

It may be mentioned here that David Bergman is the founder of Netra News and has been using this NED-funded outlet in running vile propaganda against Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other important.

END OF PART 3. Next installment: Bangladeshi Islamist forces pose security threat to India and the region

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