Mixed Reactions to Akhtaruzzaman Joining Jamaat After BNP Exit

Former Member of Parliament Major (retd) Akhtaruzzaman was last expelled from the BNP on 20 February 2022 on allegations of involvement in activities deemed contrary to party discipline. Despite losing his party affiliation, he did not withdraw entirely from political life. He remained a visible figure by speaking regularly on national issues through television talk shows and social media platforms. His recent decision to join Jamaat-e-Islami has once again placed him at the centre of political discussion, generating mixed reactions in his home district of Kishoreganj.

A decorated freedom fighter, Akhtaruzzaman hails from Katiadi upazila in Kishoreganj district. He represented the Kishoreganj-2 constituency, comprising Katiadi and Pakundia upazilas, after being elected twice as a BNP candidate in the parliamentary elections of 1991 and 1996. He also contested the 11th national parliamentary election with the BNP’s sheaf of paddy symbol but was defeated. At one stage of his political career, he served as president of the district BNP. News of his joining Jamaat spread across the area on Saturday afternoon, sparking renewed political debate. Discussion intensified after a photograph showing him standing beside the Jamaat amir while holding flowers circulated widely on social media.

Akhtaruzzaman confirmed his joining Jamaat over the phone to গণমাধ্যম. When asked for further details, he said that it was not possible to comment immediately and that he would later sit with journalists for an open discussion.

According to party sources, on Saturday morning he went to Jamaat’s office in Mogbazar in the capital and formally joined the party by filling out a membership form in the presence of Jamaat amir Shafiqur Rahman. In an official statement, Jamaat said that Akhtaruzzaman joined after expressing deep confidence in the party’s principles and ideology, its patriotism, and its firm stance on protecting the country’s independence and sovereignty. The statement added that he completed the form for primary associate membership and pledged continued loyalty to the party’s rules, ideology, organisational discipline, and leadership.

Seeking a response, Jamaat’s Katiadi upazila amir Mozammel Haque Jowardar said that they had not been formally informed through organisational channels. However, he acknowledged that the matter had been publicised on Jamaat’s verified Facebook page. He added that an official reaction would be given after written notification was received.

Following the circulation of the photograph on social media, discussions spread rapidly across Katiadi and Pakundia upazilas. Initial doubts about the authenticity of the image were later dispelled, leading to a range of reactions. While some viewed the development as a normal political move, others expressed strong criticism.

Katiadi upazila BNP general secretary Ariful Islam said that Akhtaruzzaman’s political chapter had effectively ended long ago and that only time would tell how successful he could be in a new party.

Several BNP leaders, speaking on condition of anonymity, described Akhtaruzzaman as a headstrong figure who repeatedly drew the displeasure of the party’s central leadership due to outspoken remarks. They noted that he had been expelled multiple times for making comments against the party during talk shows. Although the BNP had reinstated him in the past, they said his future in a new party would depend on his political conduct.

Local sources said that for some time Akhtaruzzaman had been seeking a return to active politics under a party banner. He had shown interest in rejoining the BNP, spoken out in support of Khaleda Zia’s release and proper medical treatment, and even announced plans to work for the BNP-nominated candidate in Kishoreganj-2 in the current election. Against this backdrop, his decision to join Jamaat has fuelled fresh political debate and varied reactions across the area.