BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has questioned the political role of Jamaat-e-Islami during the War of Liberation in 1971.

"The nation wants to know in which sector they [Jamaat leaders] had fight during the War of Liberation. Under which sector commander did you fought the war?" he asked.

He raised the questions while speaking at a complimentary gifts awarding to the family of Youth Asia Cup winning cricketer Iqbal Hossain Emon on behalf of the `Aamra BNP Paribar` in Sylhet on Thursday (January 2).

With BNP Standing Committee member Dr AZM Zahid Hossain in the chair, the event was attended by leaders from different levels of Sylhet district and city BNP.

It may be mentioned that Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has recently claimed that there are only two patriotic forces in the country. One of Bangladesh Army and the other Jamaat-e-Islami.

Rizvi said that a particular political party has claimed that they and the Army are patriotic forces. "Undoubtedly, the Army is patriotic, because their predecessors had fought for the creation of Bangladesh. One of them was Major Ziaur Rahman who declared the independence of Bangladesh in 1971. The Army also played a glorious role during the Mass Uprising of 2024 when people went through repression by the deposed Sheikh Hasina regime."

"But, I want to ask that political party which is a pro-Islamic one that what was your role in 1971? In which sector did you fight the war? Under which sector commander did you fight the war? None, except a political party in Bangladesh, is patriotic. People will laugh if you give them this impression. People will give you nothing in return except laugh."

Mentioning that Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman was the proclaimer of independence, the BNP leader said Ziaur Rahman didn`t stop after proclaiming the independence. He fought in the war and killed Pakistani Colonel Janjua. There was a battle which was led by Major Zia.

In this regard, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi also said: "Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had struggled for the self-rights, but he didn`t make any declaration or called for any special preparation. He didn`t make any such call. Awami League publicized it forcibly at different times. The real history is that Ziaur Rahman had declared the war of independence which was nine months long. But, any chapter on it has not been incorporated in the textbooks. I request the interim government for the inclusion of a chapter in the textbooks narrating Ziaur Rahman`s role as the "proclaimer of independence. There should be a full-fledged history on our struggle for independence."