Nizami now demands deaths to Rahman, Bangla Bhai

Nizami, also Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami, a partner of the alliance government, brushed aside any linkage of his party with the banned Jama'atul Mujaheedin Bangladesh (JMB).

He was replying to questions of a private television channel following a seminar at the National Press Club auditorium in the city yesterday.

Bangladesh Quran Shikkha Society organised the seminar on 'Jihad and Terrorism in the Eyes of Islam'.

Addressing the seminar as chief guest, Nizami said there is no room for terrorism in Islam.

"The militancy rose in a bid to obliterate Islam from the country and no Islamic think- tank has ever supported their activities," he said adding that the JMB had never played any role to spread Islamic ideology.

Criticising a section of intellectuals and journalists, Nizami said they are promoting 'information terrorism' and dictating people to take the country into a grave situation.

"They are doing this to taint the image of the country," he said. Terrorism in the name of Islam is a conspiracy and intellectual efforts should have to be enhanced to resist the conspiracy, he added.

Maulana Julfikar Ahmad Kismoti read out a keynote paper while President of the Society Abdus Shahid Nasim presided over the seminar.

The speakers said Islam has no link with terrorism, as it is a religion of peace. At the same time Jihad and war are quite different.

Jihad is a lawful struggle to establish Islamic country while war is a part of Jihad, which cannot be waged without the authorisation of the state, they added.

Allah has forbidden man to engage in terrorism and branding Muslim countries as terrorist countries is part of the evil designs of the west, they said.

Vice President of the Society Muhammad Nurul Islam, Dhaka City Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Rafiqul Islam Khan, Prof Dr Umar Ali, Barrister Abdur Razzak and former secretary Shah Abdul Hannan also spoke.