Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami has yet to issue a formal apology for opposing the 1971 Liberation War, despite repeated internal efforts. Former leader Abdur Razzaq’s posthumous memoir details decades of debate, draft apologies and resistance within the party’s senior leadership.
Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami has still not issued a formal and unconditional apology for its opposition to the country’s independence from Pakistan during the 1971 Liberation War, despite repeated efforts by senior figures within the party to resolve the issue.
The internal debate over an apology, which has continued for more than two decades, has been detailed by former Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Abdur Razzaq in his posthumous memoir, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami: Its History and Politics. Razzaq, who served in the party’s senior leadership from 2003 to 2019 before leaving Jamaat, died in May 2025. His memoir is scheduled to be formally launched on Friday.
According to a report by The Daily Star, Razzaq’s memoir provides an account of the disagreements within Jamaat’s top leadership over whether the party should formally acknowledge and apologise for its position during the 1971 Liberation War.
Razzaq wrote that the issue was first raised in 1994, ahead of a public speech by then Jamaat leader Ghulam Azam. Azam was a prominent figure associated with opposition to Bangladesh’s independence movement in 1971. The issue resurfaced on several occasions between 2001 and 2016, with different attempts reportedly made to formulate an apology.
According to Razzaq, draft versions of an apology were prepared at various stages. However, the proposals repeatedly faced opposition from influential figures within the Jamaat establishment.
The former Jamaat leader recalled that four years after one such draft was prepared, the issue was eventually placed before the party’s Working Committee in October 2005. However, resistance within the organisation prevented the matter from reaching a final resolution.
Razzaq cited remarks from two senior party members to illustrate the divisions surrounding the proposal. A former Jamaat lawmaker reportedly argued that an apology could displease Pakistan. Meanwhile, the former head of Jamaat’s Education wing reportedly questioned the political relevance of revisiting the party’s role in 1971, describing the issue as one that resurfaced publicly around Bangladesh’s independence and Victory months before fading from discussion.
Razzaq wrote that attempts to address the issue repeatedly failed because influential members intervened and prevented the party from adopting a definitive position. According to his account, the matter was ultimately left unresolved and was again put aside.
The memoir also discusses changes in Bangladesh’s political landscape following the July-August 2024 uprising. Razzaq referred to Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman’s media appearances and described him as having faced interviews with composure and confidence.
However, Razzaq argued that the absence of a clear position from the current Jamaat leadership regarding the actions and political role of its predecessors during the Liberation War continued to create difficulties for the party when addressing questions about its history.
“Jamaat’s role in 1971 remains its Achilles heel,” Razzaq wrote in the memoir.
The account has brought renewed attention to a longstanding question surrounding Jamaat-e-Islami’s historical position during Bangladesh’s struggle for independence. While several internal efforts were reportedly made over the years to formulate an apology, Razzaq’s memoir indicates that disagreements within the party leadership prevented a formal apology from being issued.
| Also Read: Nepal FM Thanks India for Rasuwa Flash Flood Relief Support |
The issue remains significant in Bangladesh’s political discourse because of the historical role attributed to Jamaat and its leaders during the 1971 Liberation War. Razzaq’s posthumous account offers an inside perspective on the debates within the party over whether and how to address that legacy.
