A letter of protest to the Time Magazine

To
The Editor
Time Magazine, Asia

It is to our great dismay we have noticed that Time Magazine has made a cover story on the recent development on Islamic Militancy issue in Bangladesh where Mr. Alex Perry has given all the credit to the incumbent Government and its Prime Minister Ms. Khaleda Zia for capturing the militant leaders. The fact of the matter is when the oppositions in the parliament and the civil society, the secularists and progressives of Bangladesh sensed the rise of fundamentalism and militancy; and wanted to bring the issue in front of the Government, the existence of fundamentalism was completely denied.

It was further exposed that some part of the Government led by Ms. Khaleda Zia were in active collaboration with the militant organization which in turn gave the militancy a boost in the sacred soil of Bangladesh. When the explosives attacks were taking place the incumbent Government and Khaleda Zia herself were disseminating slanderous allegations and were accusing the opposition political parties as well as the secularists-progressive forces of Bangladesh, most of whose positions are strongly anti-militancy.

Records show that many of the civil society members, i.e. writers, columnists, university professors, ex civil-servants and opposition political party members were implicated in false charges and were put into prison cell for explosive attacks which were actually carried out by the Islamic militant.

If the militancy is cornered in Bangladesh at this moment, it is because of the pressure came from the different quarters. Under the growing consensus and rage among the people as well as pressure from the development partners from the west against the Islamic militancy, the incumbent 4 party alliance Government was forced to apprehend Shaikh Abdur Rahman, Bangla Bhai and few other leading members of Jamiatul Mujahidin. The apprehension of Shaikh Rahman-Bangla Bhai-Mufti Hannan et al evidences the falsification of the claims by the Government, especially by the Amir of Jamat-e-Islami and minister of commerce & industry Motiur Rahman Nizami about the existence of the afore-said Islamic militant network as imaginary and creation of media.

Time Magazine’s report on the latest development on the militancy issue in Bangladesh by Alex Perry is completely misrepresentation of facts and far from the truth. It is imperative to note for the sake of upholding the truth, Bangladesh has been mishandled by an inefficient Government and hence was fallen into such militancy problem. If any development has taken place in this area the credit should go to the opposition parties and the progressive forces of Bangladesh.