Gatco case to be faced politically

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Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami, a charge-sheeted accused in the Gatco corruption case, said yesterday his party will resort to legal and political means to fight the case he termed politically motivated.

“When the court process will start in the case, my lawyers and the party will definitely face it legally. But since it does not seem merely a legal matter, rather politically motivated, political workers will obviously face it politically besides the legal means,” he said.

Talking to UNB at Jamaat central office, Nizami, who was the agriculture and industries minister in the immediate past BNP-led coalition government, said he had no involvement in any corruption. “My only offence is I was a member of the purchase committee. I have no other offence.”

Last Thursday, a metropolitan court issued arrest warrants against 12 ‘absconding accused’, including Nizami and four other cabinet ministers of the four-party alliance government, in the Gatco scam case.

Nizami said his name was not in the FIR but later he was included. “What is most painful is I was shown absconding in a disgusting way. This is a blatant falsehood, which does not suit the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).”

He noted that corruption originates in falsehood. “If the ACC takes recourse to falsehood to arrange a case against a person, how the corruption could be curbed by such an institution. Rather, it becomes an instrument of repressing politicians, which is damaging for the ACC,” he said.

Nizami said none could raise the allegation of corruption or irregularity during his 20 months as agriculture minister and 40 months as industries minister. A corrupt person cannot run a ministry so transparently. Even such charge came 16 months into the state of emergency.

He said different agencies and media tried to detect irregularities by looking through microscope but they failed. Similarly, there is no evidence of corruption against Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid who was the social welfare minister.

Asked when he plans to go to court, Nizami said he will act on advice of his lawyers.

Asked whether Jamaat would go for movement alone or with other parties if he was arrested, Mizami said all past movements were launched unitedly whenever an unelected government was imposed on the nation blocking the road to democracy and people’s voting right.

Asked about Jamaat’s stance on the government-proposed dialogue, Nizami said there is no instance from the government to create an enabling environment to make the dialogue fruitful through participation of all parties.

Rather, he alleged, the government, having failed to realise the present political reality, is taking steps to spoil the pre-dialogue atmosphere.

“Our party view is that this government is backed by the army. Army is the symbol of the nation’s independence and sovereignty. Failure of this government will have far-reaching effect.”

Nizami said, “We apprehend a national disaster if there be any deviation from holding credible elections according to the roadmap and handing over power to elected representatives.”

The Jamaat chief said, “It is no one’s expectation that the army-backed government should face off the people. But it seems that the government is pushing the country towards that end.”

Nizami said the only responsibility of the caretaker government is to hold a credible election to parliament with the participation of all political parties.

By realising the reality, he said, the government should release all political leaders, including the two top leaders–Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina.

He said the government must refrain from arresting politicians afresh. Otherwise, it would not be possible to hold an election participated by all.

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