“I Won’t Call the ‘Sarjises’ Leaders; They Were Actors in July”: Fazlur Rahman

Fazlur Rahman, adviser to the BNP Chairperson, recently described the July mass uprising as a “conspiracy” during a televised talk show. He attributed responsibility for the event to Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its affiliate, the Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir.

Fazlur Rahman accused Jamaat of longstanding attempts to destabilise the country politically. He stated: “Those who orchestrated the events of 5 August are the dark forces, and the name of that dark force is Jamaat-e-Islami. Its leading arm is the Islami Chhatra Shibir. The so-called Sarjises—those who ‘acted’ on 5 August—they were the actors. Al-Badar, Al-Shams, Jamaat-e-Islami… We believed that after 54 years, they had forgotten the shame of their forefathers’ defeat, but no—the disgrace has returned to them, amplified.”

Rahman described the incident as a deliberate plot orchestrated by Jamaat, claiming that there is also an element of international conspiracy behind it.

He argued that Jamaat now exerts informal control over the country, infiltrating various key sectors including administration, banking, hospitals, and universities.

Rahman further claimed that Jamaat is aware it cannot attain power through elections, as its vote share has fallen below 7%. According to him, the BNP remains the main obstacle to Jamaat’s political ambitions.

Fazlur Rahman’s statements reflect BNP’s critical stance towards Jamaat, framing the party as a longstanding disruptive force and attributing to it both domestic and international conspiratorial activity.