Home Minister Slams Jamaat’s 'Islamic' Claims

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Sunday questioned Jamaat-e-Islami's credentials as an Islamic party, pointing out the absence of Shariah rule pledges in its election manifesto and the removal of "Establishment of Islam" from its party monogram.

Speaking in Parliament during the 2026-27 budget discussion, Salahuddin accused Jamaat lawmakers of defending Islami Bank instead of addressing its operational irregularities.

He alleged that Tk 11,000 crore was disbursed under the bank’s Rural Development Scheme on political grounds between August 2024 and the February 2026 national elections, challenging the opposition to refute his documentary evidence.

Defending the proposed FY27 budget, the minister stated it was formulated on an economy devastated by the previous Awami League regime. He accused the former government of institutionalizing "crony capitalism" and laundering an estimated $234 billion (around Tk 30 lakh crore). Despite inheriting a severely weakened economy, he assured that the budget’s expanded social safety nets would yield visible economic benefits within six months.

Furthermore, Salahuddin urged the Prime Minister to direct the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to investigate all corruption allegations during the recent 18-month interim government, citing a recent Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) report.

Addressing law and order, the Home Minister noted that citizens can now file police cases without political interference. He attributed a rise in registered cases to an end to deliberate statistical suppression.

While acknowledging a slight increase in rape cases, he highlighted a significant drop in mob violence down from 86 incidents in 2025 to 29 this year and vowed to bring that number to zero.