IDP HAS SUBMITTED APPLICATION TO ELECTION COMMISSION

The Daily Star
21 October 2008

Excerpts

Islamic Democratic Party (IDP), a new party ...... yesterday submitted an application to the Election Commission (EC) to register themselves for the upcoming parliamentary polls.

The IDP was floated on May 18 this year and also consists of 200 to 300 Afghan War veterans, Kazi Azizul Huq, an adviser to the IDP, told reporters yesterday. ............

Sheikh Abdus Salam heads the convening committee of IDP. It was also under his leadership that a group of Afghan war veterans launched Huji through a press conference at the National Press Club on April 30, 1992.

The government banned Huji in 2005 for its militant activities, but Azizul claimed that the leaders had dissolved the party back in 1998. He also claimed that the party never had any links with militant activities.

“Majority of the then Huji is now with us. The people who are not with us are not on the right path,” Azizul said. ..........

According to IDP leaders, the party now has committees in 69 districts and 350 upazilas across the country.

“All of these are convening committee. We plan to hold a national convention to elect new committees in November,” Azizul said.

IDP's convenor Salam said his party wants to work under a democratic process.

The leaders also informed the press that they have a bank account with Tk 10000 deposited in it. The source of their funds, they claimed, is donations from well-wishers and fees from the party members.

They said they have kept provisions in their constitution to meet the criteria for registration with the EC.

“We have tried our best to meet the criteria for registration. And hopefully, we will be able to contest the upcoming poll,” Azizul said.


The New Age
Tuesday, October 21, 2008.

Afghan war veterans’ party apply for registration
Staff correspondent

Islamic Democratic Party, .. on Monday applied for registration with the Election Commission.

The party’s adviser, Kazi Azizul Huq, submitted the application for registration at the EC secretariat.

Asked about the background of the party, he told reporters that most of the initiators of IDP are Soviet-Afghan war veterans ....

‘Still, we are a group of three to four hundred fighters of the Soviet-Afghan war,’ he said.

He claimed that they had dissolved Huji in 1998 and changed the name of the organisation to Islami Gana Andolan. ........

He said the objective of the party is to establish an administration based on the Charter of Medina that gives equal rights to all citizens irrespective of religion and ethnicity.

The party will, however, follow the national constitution, the Qur’an and the Hadith while conducting its activities, he said.


Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2008 07:11:26 -0700 (PDT)
From: moinul hq
Reply-To: moinulhq1978@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: Your report on IDP : many misquotes
To: K A Huq


thanx a lot


--- On Tue, 10/21/08, K A Huq wrote:
From: K A Huq
Subject: Your report on IDP : many misquotes
To: moinulhq1978@yahoo.com, moinul.hoque@bdnews24.com
Cc: contact.idp@gmail.com


Date: Tuesday, October 21, 2008, 10:54 AM

Dear Mr. Moinul Hoque Chowdhury,

Assalamu Alaykum.

BD.NEWS24 report bears some misquotes.

Kindly read our attached FAQ know the details of transition from HUJIB to Islami Dawati Kafela to Islami Gono Andolon to IDP.

Mainstream HUJIB was dissolved in 1998.

Abdul Hannan was expelled from HUJIB in 1998 before the organization was dissolved.

Originally Abdul Hannan was a member of Harkatul Mujahideen. He had joined with HUJIB in 1993 after returning from Pakistan. After being expelled from HUJIB he formed his own group and claimed it to be HUJIB. No one from original Hujib joined his group. We consider him as an imposter. He misused the name of Hujib to hide his actual link with Harkatul Mujahideen which is an organization controlled by a South Asian state intelligence.

We never named our organization "Tanjeem-e-Tamiruddin" or "Islamic Jihad Andolon". These are splinter groups who left the mainstream. "Tanjeem-e-Tamiruddin was led by Abdur Rouf (an Afghan War Veteran) and Islamic Jihad was led by one Abu Jihad (non-veteran).

Soviet military invaded Afghanistan on 28th December 1979.

Huji was formed in 1980 initially for relief operation among Afghan displaced people.

International Community led by US and UK helped the Afghans and Foreign Volunteers to fight against the Soviet occupation forces.

Huji was inspired and authorized by state intelligences of US-UK-PAKISTAN to recruit foreign volunteers to help the Afghan Mujahid Commanders.

Bengali volunteers of Huji formed their own ethnic group HujiB in 1986.

Soviet forces were defeated and were obliged to leave Afghanistan in 1989.

Pro-Soviet Nazibullah Government was finally defeated and ousted in 1992.

HujiB returned to Bangladesh and on 30 April 1992 through a Press Conference at National Press Club of Bangladesh formally launched the organization as an NGO type civil organization of Bangladeshi Veterans of Afghan War of Liberation from Soviet Occupation.

There was no Taleban forces in 1992. Taleban was formed after 1996 to defeat the feuding Afghan Warlords.

Please study more and correct your knowledge for reporting correctly.

With best wishes.

Kazi Azizul Huq (ibn Abdulhuq ibn Izzatullah ibn Abdulhamid)

Designations:
Advisor, Islamic Democratic Party
(Organization led by veterans of Afghan War of Liberation from Soviet Occupation)

Street Address:
24/A, Joar Shahara (Olipara),
Dhaka-1229, Bangladesh

Cell: 01819-407963 Tel: 9881436
Fax: +880-2-9881436
E-mail: kahuq@dhaka.net

bdnews24.com
Mon, Oct 20th, 2008 11:41 pm BdST

Afghan veterans form new party
Moinul Hoque Choudhury
bdnews24.com correspondent

Dhaka, October 20 (bdnews24.com)— Islamic Democratic Party (IDP), formed comprising the members of banned Harkat Ul Jihad Al Islami Bangladesh (Huji), applied for registration with the Election Commission Monday.

IDP's advisor Kazi Azizul Haque and convenor Moulana Sheikh Abdus Salam submitted the registration form to the EC.

"We have formed the IDP with the members of Huji to pursue political goals complying with the Constitution of Bangladesh," Abdus Salam told reporters.

"The Huji ways of doing politics was not right in this country's context. We'd like to ask Huji activists to come to the right path, to pursue politics for the country … We are now working democratically."

Azizul Haque claimed Huji did not exist any more. "And IDP has no links with the Huji."

But most members of the new outfit are former Mujahideens, who fought for the Taliban in Afghanistan, returned to Bangladesh in 1992 after the fall of the Najibullah regime and launched the Huji in April that year.

Haque said Abdus Salam was a member of Huji but that the outfit dissolved itself in Aug 1998.

He said 300 former Huji activists had joined IDP, successor of an outfit, borne out of Huji, in different names.

In April 1998, he said, Huji had ousted Mufti Hannan and thus had no links with the terrorist incidents attributed to the now-detained Afghan veteran.

After the serial bomb blasts across the country on August 17 in 2005, the government banned three Islamist organizations—the Huji, Jagroto Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) and Jamaatul Mujhahidin Bangladesh (JMB).

Earlier on May 21 in 2002, the US State Department enlisted the Huji as a terrorist organisation.

On March 5 this year, the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice classified Huji as a "foreign terrorist organisation" and "international terrorist group".
The IDP's advisor Azizul Haque claimed they did not belong to "the Huji banned by the government in 2005".

bdnews24.com/mhc/khk/rah/2323hrs



হরকাতুল কর্মীদের নতুন দল নিবন্ধন চায় 'আইডিপি' নামে
Mon, Oct 20th, 2008 10:22 pm BdST
মঈনুল হক চৌধুরী
বিডিনিউজ টোয়েন্টিফোর ডটকম

ঢাকা, অক্টোবর ২০ (বিডিনিউজ টোয়েন্টিফোর ডটকম)- নিষিদ্ধ ঘোষিত জঙ্গি সংগঠন হরকাতুল জিহাদ আল ইসলামীর (হুজি) সদস্যদের নিয়ে গড়া নতুন দল ইসলামিক ডেমোক্রেটি পার্টি (আইডিপি) নির্বাচন কমিশনে নিবন্ধনের জন্য আবেদন করেছে। সংগঠনের নেতাদের দাবি, আফগান ফেরত মুজাহিদ ছাড়াও তাদের ৩০ হাজার নিবন্ধিত সদস্য রয়েছে। দেশের সংবিধান মেনেই এখন তারা কার্যক্রম চালাতে চান।

আইডিপি'র আহ্বায়ক মাওলানা শেখ আবদুস সালাম ও উপদেষ্টা কাজী আজিজুল হক সোমবার ইসির কাছে আবেদনপত্র জমা দেন।

মাওলানা শেখ আবদুস সালাম সাংবাদিকদের বলেন, "বাংলাদেশের সংবিধান মেনে রাজনীতির করার জন্য হুজি'র সদস্যদের নিয়ে আইডিপি গঠন করেছি। হুজি'র রাজনীতি এদেশের প্রেক্ষাপটে সঠিক ছিল না। এখনো যারা হুজি করছে তাদেরকে বলব- তারা যেন সৎ পথে ফিরে আসে। দেশের জন্য রাজনীতি করে। এখন আমরা গণতান্ত্রিক প্রক্রিয়ায় কাজ করছি।"

সংগঠনের উপদেষ্টা আজিজুল হক দাবি করেন, ১৯৯৮ সালেই হুজিকে আনুষ্ঠানিকভাবে বিলুপ্ত করা হয়েছে। এরপর হরকাতুল জিহাদ নামে যে সংগঠনকে রাষ্ট্রীয়ভাবে নিষিদ্ধ করা হয় তাদের সঙ্গে আইডিপি'র কোনো সম্পর্ক নেই। তবে আফগান ফেরত অনেক সদস্য নিয়েই এ বছরের মে মাসে নতুন দল হিসাবে আত্মপ্রকাশ করেছে আইডিপি।

আইডিপি'র বর্তমান আহ্বায়ক আবদুস সালাম একসময় হুজি'র সদস্য ছিলেন স্বীকার করে জানান, ১৯৯৮ সালের এপ্রিল মাসে হুজি নেতারা মুফতি হান্নানকে বহিষ্কার করেন এবং একই বছরের আগস্ট মাসে সংগঠনের মজলিসে শুরার বৈঠক ডেকে হুজিকে বিলুপ্ত ঘোষণা করা হয়। এরপর 'ইসলামী দাওয়াতি কাফেলা বাংলাদেশ' ও পরে 'তানজিমে তামিরউদ্দিন' নামের সংগঠনের ব্যানারে সাবেক হুজি কর্মীরা কর্মকাণ্ড চালাতে থাকে।

এরপর আবারো সংগঠনের নাম পরিবর্তন করে প্রথমে 'ইসলামিক জিহাদ আন্দোলন' ও পরে 'ইসলামী গণআন্দোলন বাংলাদেশ' করা হয়। এতবার সংগঠনের নাম পরিবর্তনের কারণ ব্যাখ্যা করেননি আজিজুল হক।

তিনি বলেন, "গণআন্দোলনের আমির ছিলেন মাওলানা শেখ আবদুস সালাম। ২০০৮ সালের ১৮ মে এর নাম পরিবর্তন করে ইসলামিক ডেমোক্রেটিক পার্টি (আইডিপি) রাখা হয়।"

আইডিপিতে তিনশতাধিক সাবেক হুজি সদস্য রয়েছে জানিয়ে আজিজুল হক বলেন, "আফগান ফেরত মুজাহিদ ছাড়াও ৩০ হাজার ফরম পূরণ করা সদস্য আছে। এছাড়া দেশের ৫৯ জেলা ও আড়াইশ উপজেলায় আমাদের শাখা কমিটি ও কার্যালয় আছে। গণতান্ত্রিক ইসলামী শাসনব্যবস্থা কায়েম করতে আইডিপি কাজ করছে।"
এক প্রশ্নের জবাবে আইডিপি উপদেষ্টার দাবি করেন, দলীয় সদস্যদের টাকায় তাদের সংগঠন পরিচালিত হয়। নিজস্ব ব্যাংক হিসাবে এ মুহূর্তে মাত্র ১২ হাজার ৬০০ জমা টাকা আছে।

১১৬, নয়াপল্টনের জামান ম্যানশনে আইডিপির কেন্দ্রীয় কার্যালয় রয়েছে জানিয়ে তিনি বলেন, "জঙ্গিবাদী রাজনীতি করলে আইডিপি নিবন্ধনের আবেদন করত না।"

The Daily New Age Report on IDP

Copyright © New Age
DHAKA, Saturday, October 11, 2008.
IDP Under Gov't Surveillance
Staff correspondent

Islamic Democratic Party, a political party floated by the leaders of banned Islamist outfit Harkatul Jihad Al Islami, is under constant surveillance of the government, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Naim Ahmed.

‘They are under our surveillance. If they are found involved in any unlawful activities, they will be brought to book’, Naim Ahmed told New Age Monday.

When asked whether the government had allowed the leaders of Harkatul Jihad Al Islami [widely known as Huji] to launch the IDP in the guise of an iftar party, he said, ‘They sought permission for an iftar party and we allowed them as we did not find anything wrong in permitting them to organise an iftar party, a religious function.’

Most of the initiators of IDP are Soviet-Afghan war veterans and leaders of banned militant outfit Harkatul Jihad al Islami.
On August 31, the IDP applied with the Election Commission for registration as a political party for participating in the next general elections. It has formed committees in 42 districts and in all thanas of Dhaka city. The party has begun renting offices in districts and forming committees and organising activists in 300 upazilas across the country.

According to the draft IDP constitution that was submitted to EC for registration, the objective of the party is to establish an administration based on the Charter of Medina.

The party will, however, follow the national constitution, the Qur’an and the Hadith while conducting its activities, according to article 12 of IDP constitution.

The amir [chief], all members of the standing committee and two-thirds of the members of other committees of the party will be Islamic cleric, it said.

There is no woman member in the lists of about 370 leaders of the central and district committees, which were submitted to the Election Commission, although the IDP constitution suggests that there should be women division in almost all committees of the party.

The IDP iftar party, held in the city’s Diploma Engineers Institution, was attended by the party adviser Kazi Azizul Huq, convener Maulana Sheikh Abdus Salam, weekly Blitz editor Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, daily Amar Desh assistant editor and Human Rights Forum general secretary Sanjeeb Choudhury, PK Barua of Bouddha Kristi Prochar Sangha and Chitta Francis, a representative of Christian community.

Sheikh Abdus Salam heads the IDP convening committee. It was under his leadership that a group of Afghan war veterans launched Huji in Dhaka in April, 1992.

Both Kazi Azizul Huq and Abdus Salam admitted that they had a background of Huji. But they claimed that they had dissolved Huji in 1998 and changed the name of the organisation to Islami Gana Andolan. The government had banned Huji in October 2005.
When asked if Mufti Abdul Hannan, who was found involved in militant attacks, had any links with the IDP, Kazi Azizul Huq, believed to be the mastermind of the party, told New Age that they had expelled Hannan from Huji in 1998.

He said the goal of IDP was to run the country as per the Charter of Medina that gives equal rights to all citizens irrespective of religion and ethnicity.

‘We want to introduce Shariah only for the “willing” Muslims. Other Muslims and followers of other religions and ethnic minorities may follow the existing law of the land and norms of their communities’, he said. ‘We don’t want to impose anything on anyone.’

When asked about the provisions of the IDP constitution to restrict the leadership of the party only to the ulema, he said, ‘We would propose amendment to the constitution to include non-cleric persons, even if they are from other religions, in the committees.’

Azizul Huq said IDP wanted that citizens of Bangladesh should not be barred from travelling to any land in the world, including Israel.

‘Bangladesh should establish diplomatic relations with Israel’, he said. ‘What’s the use of maintaining hostility to Israel when Palestine and some other Arab countries maintain ties with it?’

When asked if the IDP receives funds from foreign sources, especially from Israel and the US, he claimed, ‘IDP is run by the money donated by its leaders and members.’

He, however, added, ‘Richard L Benkin, an American Jew, provides IDP moral support as it [IDP] favours Bangladesh-Israel diplomatic relations.

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury echoed Azizul Huq. ‘I cooperate with IDP as it upholds interfaith understanding and supports the idea of establishing diplomatic ties with Israel.’

About the sources of the party funds Choudhury said, ‘Nobody will admit to getting foreign funds even if they receive it. It is difficult to identify sources of money in the present world.’

Copyright © New Age

Constitution of Islamic Democratic Party (IDP)

Islamic Democratic Party(IDP)
Draft CONSTITUTION
(to be approved in the Party Conventionin)

Article 1. Name of the party: Islamic Democratic Party; abbreviation-I.D.P.

Article 2. Date of Establishment: Sunday 4th Jayshttha, 1415 B. accordingly 18th May, 2008.

Article 3. Central Office: In the capital city of Dhaka.

Article 4. Monogram: Five stars above, crescent in the middle, ear of paddy and wheat both in circular form in the right and left respectively, Jute Plant in the middle, a wheel in the center, name of the party ‘Islamic Democratic Party’ is written circularly below.


Article 5. Flag: Three-fourth of the flag will be green and the rest will be white. White part will be in the right side. In the white part there will be five red colored stars symbolizing the five prime policies of the party. Such as: 1) Dawah (invitation) 2) Education 3) Service 4) Organization 5) Social reform(instruction of good deeds and prohibition of bad deeds).


Article 6. Electoral Symbol:

Article 7. Sphere of activity: Bangladesh.

Article 8. Cheif of the party: The chief of ‘Islamic Democratic Party’ will be addressed as Ameer.


Article 9. Belief:

A)Amantu billahi wa malaekatihi wa kutubihi wa rusulihi wal yaomil akhiri wal qadri kharihi wa sharrihi minallahi ta’ala wal b’asi b’adal mout.(translation: I believe in Allah and in His Angels and in His Scriptures and in His Prophets and in the Day of Judgment and in Fate that all the good and evil are from Allah and in the Resurrection after Death).

B)Whole of humankind is the descendant of the same founder parents Hazrat Adam and Hawaa (peace be on both of them).


C)Allah has sent His Messengers with His revelation in every region to guide the humankind towards righteousness. Hazrat Muhammad (may Allah be pleased with him) is his last sent Pprophet and Messenger and there is neither any Prophet nor any Mmessenger after him; the ‘Quran’- descended upon Hazrat Muhammad (may Allah be pleased with him) - is the sacred message of Allah and the last divine scripture and there’s no more divine scripture after it.

D)Starting from founder father Adam (peace be on him) up to Hazrat Muhammad (may Allah be pleased with him) – all the Prophets-Messengers (peace be on all of them) were ‘Muslim’ i.e. ‘one who submits to Allah’; and all of them preached the religion of Islam i.e. ‘submission to Allah’.

E)Allah has completed ‘Islam’- through His Last Prophet-Messenger Hazrat Muhammad (may Allah be pleased with him).


Article 10. Proclamation:

A)Absolute trust and faith in the Almighty Allah shall constitute the fundamental principle of the policy of the Party.

B)The Party acknowledges the sovereignty of Allah over all the affairs of man including government.

C) The Party is proclaiming that the declaration of independence on the 26th March,1971 and the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent-sovereign state through the victory of the War of Liberation on the 16th December, 1971 are the boundless mercies of Almighty Allah.

D) The Party is expressing its willingness to form Government in Bangladesh either alone of by coalition with others for the welfare of the people of Bangladesh irrespective of race-religion-community-party-opinion in a legal way under the auspices of the Constitution of Bangladesh.

E) The Party believes in keeping equitable, respectful relationship and peaceful co-existence with all the countries and nations of the world along with the neighboring ones.


Article 11. Ideal and Objective:

A) Establishing equity and justice in the society by Governance in
the spirit of ‘The Charter of Madina’ and building up a welfare state.

B) Preserving the lives, properties and honor of every citizen.

C) To build up an ideal nation by wiping out poverty and illiteracy.

D) Keeping the national unity intact by creating amity among all the communities of Bangladeshi inhabitants.

E) Taking necessary steps to ensure the victuals, dwelling places, clothes and security for every citizen.




Article 12. Principles:

A)‘Islamic Democratic Party’ is a political party based on religious values, norms and justice.

B) The Party will follow the Quran, Hadith and Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) and will abide by the Constitution of Bangladesh and the existing rules, regulations and law of the land.

C) The Party is promise-bound to protect the liberty and sovereignty of the country.

D)The Party believes in freedom of expression under the auspices of divine principles and the Constitution and law of Bangladesh.

E)The Party is promise-bound to act in a righteous way to uplift the living standard of the common people of Bangladesh.

Article 13. Agenda:

1) Dawah (invitation)
2) Education
3) Service
4) Organization
5) Social reform(instruction of good deeds and prohibition of bad deeds).

Article 14. Goal:
Achieving the pleasure of Allah through implementation of above- mentioned Policy is the Goal of the Party.

Article 15.Membership:
(A) Any adult cityzen of Bangladesh regardless of men-women-community provided they are ready to support and co-operate the party being agreed with the ideal, policy, and discipline of islamic democratic party(IDP).
(B) In case of recruiting members for the party women will be given priority considering the proportional rate of women in the population of the country so that the number of women members be coherent proportionally to the number of women in the country.


Article 16. Method of organization and party framework:

16.01. The party will be run by the combination of five councils. Such as:
1) General Council
2) Shura Council
3) Executive Council
4) Standing Council
5) Advisory Council

1)General Council:

The members of this council will be as follows:
a) Members of Advisory Council
b) Memers of Shura Council
c) Members of Executive Council
d) Members of Standing Council
e) Members of all district's Executive Councils
f) Members of all thana Executive Councils
g) Selected 317 members by the Executive Council.


2) Shura Council:

a) The Shura Council will be from amongst the members of the General Council.

b) Two-third members of this council will must be ’Alim (Islamic scholars)

c) The members of this council will be maximum 313 (three hundred and thirteen) in numbers i.e.-

1.Members of Executive Council 63
2.President and G.S. of 72 organizational districts 144
3.Selected 1 member from each org. district 72
4.Selected from Dhaka division 12
5. Selected from Chittagong division 09
6. Selected from Khulna division 04
7. Selected from Rajshahi division 03
8. Selected from Sylhet division 03
9. Selected from Barisal division 03

Total members 313

d) Representative of the branch organization of the sojourner members will be the ‘Ezazii’ or honorary members of the Shura Council.


3) Executive Council:

a) The Executive Council will be formed from amongst the members of the Shura Committee.

b) Maximum number of members of the executive council will be 63 (sixty three).

c) Two-third members of the Executive Council will be ’Alim (Islamic scholars)


4) Standing Council:

a) The members of this council will be elected from and by the members of the Executive Council.

b) All the members of Standing Council will be ’Alim (Islamic scholars).

c) The no. of members of this council will be maximum 11 (eleven).

d) To fulfill the vacant post of the Standing Council-the council itself will send unanimous proposal to the Executive Council.

e) In case of appointment of the proposed new members of the Standing Council the proposal will be postponed by the no confidence vote of anyone member of the Standing Council.

f) Secretary General will be the ex-officio member of the Standing Council.

g) If the members of Standing Council unanimously vote for no confidence over an individual member he will lose his membership.


5) Advisory Council:

a) The members of this council will be selected by the Executive Council amongst the supreme ’Ulamah (Islamic scholars) and the accomplished person of the country.

b) Three – fourth members of the council will be ’Alim (Islamic scholars).

c) The no. of members of this council will be maximum 61 (sixty one) i.e.


Dhaka division 17
Chittagong division 13
Rajshahi division 09
Khulna division 09
Barisal division 07
Sylhet division 06

Total No.of Advisers =61

16.02. Involvement of Women members in decision making process:
The participation of women in all stage of Islamic Democratic Party(IDP) will be ascertained. There will be a target to include 33% women representatives in all committee of within 2020.

Article 17. Duties and responsibilities of the Councils:

17.1. Duties and responsibilities of General Council:

(A). This council will preserve the interest of organization according to the constitution.
(B). Will perform the duties given by the party.
(C). Will exchange view and opinion and give advise on important issues along with discussion of party manifesto.
(D). Meeting of this council will be held once a year. But Shura Council can call emergency or special meeting provided it seems to be necessary to Shura Council.

17.2. Duties and responsibilities of Shura Council:

(A) This council will supervise the activities of Executive Council.
(B) Shura Council will adopt realistic and timely program and working strategy for the party followed by deliberation of the whole situation of the country.
(C) This council will make decision on the issues remaining undecided to executive council.
(D) This council will approve the proceedings of Executive Council.
(E) After deliberation on the draft constitution and working strategy of party proposed by Executive Council this council will approve these.
(F) This council bears the rights to bring about change, enlargement, amendment, addition and subtraction to the constitution of the party in case of necessity.
(G) Will inspect and approve the annual income and expenditure.
(H) Will approve the decisions made by Standing Council in the case emergency of the party.


17.3. Duties and responsibilities of Executive Council:

(A) This council will conduct the party.
(B) Will implement the program approved by Shura Council.
(C) Will
(D)
(E)
(F)
(G)
(H)
(I)
(J)
(K)


17.4. Duties and responsibilities of Standing Council:

(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
(F)
(G)
(H)
(I)
(J)


17.5. Duties and responsibilities of Advisory Council:

(A)



Article 18. Duration of councils:
(A) The general council and standing council will have no time-limit.
(B) The duration of executive council will be three years.
(C) The duration of shura council will be three years.
(D) The duration of advisory council will be four years.

Article 19. Method of formulation of Executive Council:

19.1. Structural Departments of the organization

(A) Department of organization
(B) Department of finance
(C) Department of invitation and preach
(D) Department of education
(E) Department of propagation
(F) Department of publicity
(G) Department of literature and culture
(H) Department of social welfare
(I) Department of information and research
(J) Department of international affairs
(K) Department of science and technology
(L) Department of industry
(M) Department of trade
(N) Department of law and judiciary
(O) Department of agriculture
(P) Department of labor
(Q) Department of student and youth
(R) Department of women and family welfare
(S) Department of office

19.2. Method of electing 'Amir':

The following procedure will be followed to appoint the central 'Amir' of the party:
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D) The number of members of this council will be 63 at maximum.
(E) The posts of this council are as follows:

Post Number of post
01.Amir 1
02.Assistant Amir 5
03.Secretary General 1
04.Joint Secretary 3
05.Organising Secretary 1
06.Assistant Organisational Secretary 2
07. Finance Secretary 1
08.Assistant Finance Secretary 2
09. Educational Secretary 1
10.Assistant Educational Secretary 2
11.Publicity Secretary 1
12.Assistant Publicity Secretary 2
13.Publication Secretary 1
14.Assistant Publication Secretary 1
15.Invitation and Preach Secretary 1
16.Assistant Invitation and Preach Secretary 1
17.Secretary of Literature 1
18.Assistant Secretary of Literature 1
19.Social Welfare Secretary 1
20.Assistant Social Welfare Secretary 2
21.Information and Research Secretary 1
22.Assistant Information and Research Secretary 2
23.International Affairs Secretary 1
24.Assistant International Affairs Secretary 1
25.Secretary of Science and Technology 1
26.Assistant Secretary of Science and Technology 1
27.Industrial Secretary 1
28.Assistant Industrial Secretary 1
29.Trade Secretary 1
30.Assistant Trade Secretary 1
31.Secretary of Law and Judiciary 1
32.Assistant Secretary of Law and Judiciary 1
33.Agricultural Secretary 1
34.Assistant Agricultural Secretary 1
35.Labor Secretary 1
36.Assistant Labor Secretary 1
37.Student and Youth Secretary 1
38.Assistant Student and Youth Secretary 1
39.Women and Family Welfare Secretary 1
40.Assistant Women and Family Welfare Secretary 1
41.Office Secretary 1
42.Assistant Office Secretary 1
43.Member 9
Total 63

Article 20. Oath
Article 21. Qualification of Amir:
(A)
(B)
(C)

Article 22. Power and responsibility:

22.01: Power and responsibilities of amir:
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
(F)
(G)
(H)

22.02. Duties and Responsibilities of Assistant Amir:
(A)
(B)
(C)


22.03. Duties and responsibilities of Secretary General:
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
(F)
(G)
(H)
(I)
(J)
(K)
(L)

22.04. Duties and responsibilities of Joint Secretary:
(A)
(B)

Article 23. Types of Meeting and Calling for Meeting:
23.01.
23.02.
23.03.
Article 24. Vacant Post
Article 25. Filling vacant posts
Article 26: Construction and preservation of fund:
Article 27: Audit
Article 28. District Organisation:
District organization will be conducted by two councils.
Such as: 01. Advisory council, 02. Executive council
28.01.
28.02.
Article 29.
Article 30.
Article 31.
Article 32.
Article 33.

Press Release 9 October 2008 : Death Threat to IDP Chief Condemneded

PRESS RELEASE
LIFE THREAT TO IDP CONVENER CONDEMNED

Dhaka, 09 October 2008.

On 06th October 2008 at 10:18 PM and on 7th October 2008 at 12:27 PM IDP and at 09:57 PM of 8th October 2008, Chief of Islamic Democratic Party Maulana Sheikh Abdus Salam received death threat by SMS from Grameen Phone Mobile No.01734.332.710.

The sender of the SMS claimed himself to be H.M.A Saeyd and a follower of Mufit Hannan of Harkatul Mujahidin Bangladesh (HMB) who is in jail facing trial for multiple terrorist attacks in the country.

General Diary has been duly filed with Badda Police Station (area of residence of IDP Chief) and Paltan Police Station (area of IDP Office). Formal requests have been madeo the concerned Government authority as well as the Grameen Phone authority to track and take action against the sender of the SMS who used the mobile phone utility for terrorist agenda.

Islamic Democratic Party (IDP) strongly condemns such nefarious and notorious attempt of terrorist intimidation by deviated extremists and perverts. IDP urges the Bngladesh Government to immediately provide security to its leader and take stern action against the culprit(s).

It may be noted that religious extremists as well as atheists are conspiring against IDP because IDP strongly upholds Faith in Allah, Theme of Inter-faith Understanding, Rights of Religious & Ethnic Minorities, Mutually Respectful Relation with the Neighbours and with the International Community including the Islamic Ummah.

ISLAMIC DEMOCRATIC PARTY
116, Naya Paltan,
Zaman Mansion 4th Floor,
Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
Ph: 06662682829
Fax:+880-2-9881436
e-mail: contact.idp@gmail.com

Spirit of Common Heritage : Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur
By Dr. Richard L. Benkin

Yom Kippur, in English “the Day of Atonement,” is considered by most Jews to be the holiest day of the year. Together, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur are known to Jews as the High Holidays. Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and the ten intervening days (often called the Ten Days of Repentance); are a time when Jews everywhere are to consider their actions during the past year and think about how to be better people in the coming year. It is not only the Jewish people who act, however, but the Jewish God, as well.

A common greeting on Rosh Hashanah is “May you be inscribed in the Book of Life for a sweet year.” Jews believe that on Rosh Hashanah, God writes everybody’s name down for either another year of life or for death. Jews have a chance to change God’s decree by what they do during the High Holiday period. Because God might inscribe His judgment on Rosh Hashanah, but He does not seal it until Yom Kippur.

In the Torah, the Jewish holy book, God commands Moses to tell the Hebrew people, “In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe complete rest, a sacred occasion commemorated with loud blasts. You shall not work at your occupations.” That is the origin of Rosh Hashanah, and it is why Jews are to do no work on that day. Instead, they are to devote themselves to prayer and contemplation; to reflect on their behavior over the past twelve months and how it might seem in the eyes of God. Traditional Jews spend most of the day in the synagogue. As for Yom Kippur, the Torah tells us that God said, “Mark, the tenth day of the seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be a sacred occasion for you; you shall practice self-denial…you shall do no work throughout that day.”

The point for us on both holy days is that we are to set aside this time, not work or engage in our common leisure activities and such. Traditional Jews do not even kindle fires or any kind or use electricity. God wants us to do that so our entire beings are turned toward the meaning of the holidays. In the above quote from the Torah, we are told to “practice self-denial” on Yom Kippur. That has come to mean fasting, and Yom Kippur is one of seven fast days on the Jewish calendar. But Judaism suffers from the same problem other religions suffer from these days; most people observe it only marginally. But the vast majority of Jews observe the High Holidays. So, Yom Kippur is by far the most observed of the fast days.

Contrary to what some people think, however, the purpose of fasting is not punishment or repentance. Judaism has no tradition of such things. God does not want us to withdraw from the pleasurable things he has provided us. (That is why, for instance, many religious Jews will have sex with their wives every week on the Shabbat to celebrate the miracles that God creates for us.) The reason we fast (or “practice self-denial”) is so we are not distracted from the gift that God has given us for the day—that if we are truly introspective, we have a chance to soften His judgment. But what a wonderful gift. God has relieved us of our worldly burdens for the day so we can take that time to examine ourselves and become better people.

Our prayers tell us that we can soften God’s decree with “repentance, prayer, and charity.” The Hebrew word for repentance is tshuva, which really means “return.” In the Jewish religion, repentance is not about saying you are sorry—although sometimes that is necessary—but it is about returning to the way God wants us to be. Just words are not enough; it takes action. So if we show this between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, God will see it. Even if we have not yet done it, but it is in our hearts and we will do it, God sees that, too. Repentance for Jews is about returning to God. Prayer can be offered with the lips only but no heart. That is the case in all religions. God, however, can tell the difference (we simple people can never expect to fool Him). If we offer prayers from the heart, God will listen; but if our prayer is false and our hearts are set on continued misbehavior, God will see that, too. The Hebrew word for charity is tzedekah, which means “righteousness.” In the Jewish tradition, giving charity is only doing what is demanded of us. If we are wealthy, we should help those in need; most importantly, we should help them help themselves. If we are safe, we should help those who are in danger. If we are strong, we should help the weak. As much as we give to others in these situations, they are giving to us because they allow us to act as God wants us to act. But it must be done with a true spirit of righteousness, understanding that it is the correct thing to do in God’s eyes, or it means little.

God also tells us that we can come to Him and ask for His forgiveness, and he can grant it. But, he tells us, for sins that man commits against God, God can grant forgiveness. For sins that a man commits against his fellow man, God cannot grant forgiveness. We must get that forgiveness from the man against whom we have trespassed. That is a wonderful value because it recognizes that if we have wronged another, true tshuva can come only when we have taken the actions that brought us closer (returned us) to our fellow man. We cannot wrong another and expect to be forgiven without making things right with that other person.

Because the Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar, all observances begin at sundown the evening before the day of the observance; and they end at sundown on the day of the observance. So, in 2008, the Jewish date of 10 Tishre, on which Yom Kippur falls, corresponds to the date of October 9. That means Yom Kippur begins at sundown on October 8 and ends at sundown on October 9. At that moment, in every congregation all over the world, the great shofar or ram’s horn is sounded as it was in ancient days at our Temple in Jerusalem, letting all Jews know that the time of the observance is over, that God has sealed our fates, and that it is now up to each of us to go forth in the world and live in accordance with the moral principles that God has set down for us and which are now in our hearts.

Why an American Jew Supports the Islamic Democratic Party

Weekly Blitz
VOLUME - 3, ISSUE - 43, DHAKA, OCTOBER 8, 2008

Why an American Jew Supports the Islamic Democratic Party
-Dr. Richard Benkin

Several people from very different political viewpoints have criticized Bangladesh’s new Islamic Democratic Party (IDP) as little more than a front for the banned Harkatul Jihad Al Islami (HUJI). Many question my own support for the IDP as I am an American Jew and an outspoken Zionist who has fought radical groups like HUJI to defend Bangladeshi Hindus and others. Radicals have written that my own and Weekly Blitz editor Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury’s involvement suggests that Israeli intelligence is behind the IDP although they have not even tried to offer evidence for the claim because there is none. The very thought of Israeli designs behind this group of devout Muslims is laughable. (Just how amazing do these radicals think we Jews are?) Others have wondered how I could support a group when so many of its members have such dubious roots. Am I naïve, deluded, or on the IDP payroll? The answer to all of them is “No.” Kazi Azizul Huq, an IDP official, and I have a relationship going back almost two years. We met for several hours in Dhaka in 2007 and frankly admitted that we disagree tremendously on many issues that concern our peoples; but we also acknowledged a kinship in our mutual devotion to God—him through Islam, me through Judaism—and “agreed to disagree.” Since then, Huq has demonstrated his democratic bona fides by taking public positions for an end to Shoaib Choudhury’s false prosecution, an end to the government’s ban on travel to Israel or relations the Jewish state; and he recently wrote “that neither the Zionists nor the Americans are the real enemy of the Believers and the Muslims.”

And he does so while upholding his strong Muslim faith. For my part, I have defended Islam in a public argument with the head of a major Jewish organization and elsewhere; and doing so while maintaining my moral opposition to Islamist radicals and my defense of minorities, non-Islamist Muslims, and both the US and Israel.

Bangladesh has been plagued with corrupt leadership that has fanned the flames of communalism no matter which party was in office. The Bangladesh National Party and Awami League plundered Hindus equally through the racist Vested Property Act; their Islamist party allies also took about ten percent of the loot. They placed the well-being of their leaders over the well-being of the nation, forcing the January 11th coup and the chaos that preceded it. Out of nothing more than personal ambition and weakness, both parties agreed to include Islamist radicals in their coalition, parties that demand all Bangladeshis be subject to Sharia law. Those who screamed the loudest against these abuses called themselves “secularists.” Many were communists, and their writings are distinctly anti-religious. Thus, even while campaigning for the people’s right to enjoy the freedoms their founders had promised, secularists dismiss the deep religious sentiments that run powerfully throughout so much of the Bangladeshi population. There was no strong voice that spoke out on their behalf; that is, until the IDP. It offers Bangladesh and South Asia its best chance to see Muslims, Hindus, and others work together to end communal strife and pseudo-secularism. Its leaders believe that religion should unite people of different faiths, not divide them.

But does that philosophy translate into specific actions and positions? I asked IDP Chief Maulana Sheikh Abdus Salam and IDP Advisor Huq about that.

RB: Is the IDP willing to condemn all terror attacks, including attacks on Israeli civilians, and do so without any “but's”?

IDP: Yes.

[RB: If terrorism is wrong—if the deliberate murder of individual civilians is contrary to our moral and religious principles—then it should not take a treatise of justifications and “understanding” for the perpetrators. The answer is simple whether the victims are Israelis, Rohingya Muslims, Bangladeshi Hindus, or anyone else. One of the reasons why statements by Muslim leaders have lost any credibility among so many audiences is their consistent refusal to condemn Palestinian terrorists for what they are; to condemn the terrorists who murdered thousands in New York and Washington on September 11 without resorting to angry condemnations of the United States or ridiculous theories that it was all a Jewish or CIA conspiracy. The IDP’s simple answer is the best answer, and I look forward to seeing it put into action.]

RB: Will the IDP condemn the racist Vested Property Act and pledge to eliminate it if in parliament or other offices?

IDP: IDP has already expressed its disapproval of the Vested Property Act and has openly declared that IDP is seeking advice to formulate strategy to solve the problem avoiding as much as possible new conflict and chaos in the country. Most of these properties are in the possession of rich and powerful people who were or are public representatives belonging to Awami League or BNP or JP. Further, IDP wants to create an environment in Bangladesh which will effectively: End Silent Migration of Hindus from Bangladesh to India; Ensure opportunity and scope for those to return to Bangladesh who were obliged to illegally migrate to India.

[RB: Imagine if a country like the United States had its own Vested Property Act and used it against Muslims.]

RB: Will the IDP condemn the oppression of minorities in Bangladesh and even call on fellow Islamists to end it?

IDP: IDP is against any direct or indirect oppression of minorities in Bangladesh and is determined to stand beside affected person or family. We are trying to motivate others including the ruling elite in this regard. You have to note that the so-called Islamists are not the real obstacles. The real obstacles in this regard is the Administration and the vested interests related to mainly Awami League, BNP and JP. Even JI is not amongst the real obstacles.

RB: Will the IDP actively work with me in stopping attacks on Bangladeshi Hindus in Bangladesh and India? May we work together? Can we take action together?

IDP: YES.

[RB: Pakistan has reduced its Hindu population to about one percent. There are those in Bangladesh who are trying to do the same and have cut Bangladeshi Hindus from one in five to less than one in ten. Bengalis have a history of being able to live together in a society with people who observe many religions. Those who are brutally attacking the Bangladeshi Hindus are attacking the very nature of what it means to be Bengali.]

RB: What is the IDP's position on rescinding the travel ban to Israel?

IDP: IDP wants that citizens of Bangladesh should not be barred from traveling to any land in the world. Specifically Muslims and Christians of Bangladesh must be allowed to visit all their Holy Places including those in Palestine and Israel.

RB: What is the IDP's position on establishing relations between Bangladesh and Israel?

IDP: IDP wants Israel to peacefully materialize the two-state solution as soon as possible to quicken establishing diplomatic relation with the State of Israel. IDP requests Israeli administration to work more closely with Saudi administration because Saudi position in this regard is the most influential one for Bangladesh. Israel also needs to neutralize powerful secret British and Indian opposition to Bangladesh-Israel relation. Bangladesh Foreign Ministry is heavily under British influence.

[RB: Dozens of Muslim countries have relations with Israel on a range of levels—from quiet economic cooperation to full-blown diplomatic relations. Those Muslims are deriving tremendous benefit from Israeli technology in a number of areas from medicine and agriculture to security.]

RB: What is the IDP's goal with regard to Sharia Law, and would all Muslims be compelled to follow it? What about non-Muslims?

IDP: IDP wants Sharia Law and Sharia Court only for the willing Muslims (when plaintiff and defendant both are willing) who seek justice according their own religion. IDP wants to continue existing civil courts and civil laws.

[RB: This is a critical position for the IDP, in opposition to groups like HUJI who want to impose Sharia Law on all Bangladeshis.]

RB: What is the IDP's position on establishing true religious equality in Bangladesh?

IDP: IDP wants equality and autonomy for Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and Tribals as per the spirit of the Medina Charter.

[RB: This call for minority autonomy makes the IDP the strongest political advocate for religious minorities, taking a position that the Awami League never tried to implement.]

RB: What will the IDP do about corruption, which is contrary to all religions?

IDP: IDP considers that the Government should be protected from being led by atheists, materialists, perverts, greedy, opportunists, criminals, corrupts, mercenaries and such other harmful people. IDP proposes screening of nomination for public positions.

Weekly Blitz report of 1 October 2008

Weekly Blitz 01-10-2008
The HUJI controversy
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury

When there is bomb blast in our neighboring nation India, killing innocent people, our heart bleed! When an innocent child gets killed at the rocket attack in Israel, our soul cry! But there are many in our society, who would leave crocodile tear at such notoriety but in reality they always have alliance with the culprits. In past five years, when I am leading a mission of peace thus combating the culture of religious hatred, no one in Bangladesh, except a few stood in my support. My Jewish brother Dr. Richard L Benkin knows how lonely and isolated I had been made in Bangladesh while most of the journalists virtually abandoned me. A former advisor in the military controlled interim government listed me as a non journalist with the ulterior motive of suffocating my voice. He even tried to cancel the permission of my newspapers. But, finally, evil forces like him had been eliminated by the divine power. In Bangladesh most of those secular forces who pretend to be anti Islamist are continuing to behave like our deadly enemies as we advocate inter faith understanding and demand relations between Israel and Bangladesh. Most of the media in Dhaka, including some, who pretend to be anti-Islamist and even receive regular donation from foreign countries are busy in defaming me and Dr. Benkin and anyone who would stand in favor of Israel.

But, despite such extreme adversities, some of the true Islamic leaders like Kazi Azizul Huq and others voiced in favor of establishing relations between Israel and Bangladesh. Moulana Salam, who recently floated a political party named Islamic Democratic Party [IDP] openly, criticizes anti Semitic and anti Israel notions. Many will come up with the argument that Moulana Salam is a former Afghan fighter who fought war against Soviet occupation in Afghanistan. They will even say that Salam is a former leader of now banned Harkatul Jihad [HUJI]. Yes, it is true! Abdus Salam is both a former fighter as well a member of HuJI. But, do those critics know that, Salam abolished this organization right in 1998 and his name or names of his followers had never been in any terrorist activities? The terror kingpin, who rather is known to be a HuJi man is Mufti Hannan, who in reality was already expelled along with his followers from HuJi a decade back and they formed another organization named Harkatul Mujahedin [HUM], which is in fact a most notorious organization till date. Mufti Hannan is already in Bangladeshi prison facing trials.

But, why some of the Bangladeshi newspapers are active in giving a bad name to Moulana Salam? Because, if Salam will emerge as a clean man, then many of the anti-Bangladeshi elements will lose the chance of selling stories of so-called HuJi terror in India and other parts of the world. These elements are active in defaming the image of Bangladesh. In reality, some of the newspapers in Bangladesh, which are basically anti-Semitic and anti United States [patrons of Communism and atheism] are the real enemies of people like Moulana Salam.
In Bangladesh, notorious outfits like Hizbut Tahrir or Khelafat Majlish are continuing to operate. In this country, anti liberation forces openly participate in politics. But, problem always comes in when people like Moulana Salam tries to enter a new era of politics for Islamic parties, where they give highest value to democracy, rule of law and openly denounce theme of killing innocent people in the name of religion. There are bunch of elements in Bangladesh, who do not want to see any relations between Dhaka and Jerusalem. These elements are outright enemies and critics of Islamic Democratic Party [IDP] because this party echoes the demand of establishment of relations between Bangladesh and the only democracy in the Middle East.

After the formation of IDP, it has become very clear and loud in Bangladesh that for any political party, it is not a disadvantageous step to stand in support of Israel. IDP has already attracted a few hundred thousand members. It is even predicted that, this will ultimately emerge as the most powerful political force in the country, which in one hand is an Islamic party, but on the other hand, shall accommodate people of other religious beliefs in important positions. This will be the first party in the Muslim world, which will openly denounce any terrorist acts of Al Qaeda and Ossama Bin Laden. This will be the first ever Islamic party which will promote good neighborly relations with India. This will be the first ever Islamic political party in the Muslim world, which will stand against hate speech against Jews and Christians. And for many obvious reasons, such points are not going to be liked by vested interest groups.

Some newspapers are already spreading rumors that Dr. Richard Benkin and I are behind the birth of IDP. This is false. Yes, we want all of the Islamic parties to be democratic. We want them to realize international realities and understand that, there is no room for any shariah law in any of the country in the world. IDP being an Islamic party promotes and upholds democracy. This is the unique position, where we need to rather give platform to such new political theme to Islamic parties in adopting democracy thus denouncing culture of hatred as well as Taliban type shariah rule.

The Daily Star report of 29 Sept.2008

Huji leaders float party with govt nod
US citizen helped it get 'int'l support'
Julfikar Ali Manik

Leaders of the banned Islamist outfit Harkatul Jihad Al Islami (HuJi) Bangladesh have floated Islamic Democratic Party (IDP) with permission from the government.

Mostly Soviet-Afghan War veterans, they claim they formed a 15-member convening committee in May as the caretaker administration gave them the go-ahead after a probe found nothing that could link them to any subversive campaign.

Kazi Azizul Huq, an adviser of the newborn organisation, told The Daily Star, “The intelligence agencies gathered that we have no relations to any terrorist networks.

“The government however set some conditions. Those include ones that say the party must run as per the country's constitution, and not resort to violence to implement Shariah law."

Last Friday, IDP held an Iftar party at the city's Diploma Engineers Institution. It was attended by party leaders and guests including Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, editor of weekly Blitz and a campaigner for Israel, Amar Desh Assistant Editor and Human Rights Forum General Secretary Sanjeeb Choudhury, PK Barua of Bouddha Kristi Prochar Sangha and Chitta Francis, a representative of Christian community.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Naim Ahmed told The Daily Star that they allowed IDP to arrange the function as it was a religious one.

Replying to a query, he said they will definitely go for a closer examination before giving the organisation permission to arrange any political programme.

Sheikh Abdus Salam heads the convening committee. It was under his leadership that a group of Afghan War veterans launched HuJi at a press conference at the National Press Club on April 30, 1992.

Sources close to IDP said the outfit's ultimate objective is to establish Shariah law in the country.

Azizul Huq, on the other hand, said, "Our goal is to run the country as per the Charter of Medina that gives equal rights to all citizens irrespective of religion and ethnicity."

He said they want to introduce Shariah (the body of Islamic religious law) only for the Muslims. Other religious and ethnic minorities may follow the existing law of the land and norms of their communities.

"We don't want to impose anything on anyone. We'll put the Islamic laws into practice only if the people grant us an electoral mandate to amend the constitution," Azizul continued.

"Even those of Muslims who won't want to follow Shariah will have the freedom to follow the existing law."

He said the government had suggested they [IDP] take measures to convince the international community that their move to launch the outfit had no relations with extremism.

The suggestion came in view of the fact persons behind the new party had involvement with HuJi, an outfit that was banned by the government for terrorism in October 2005.

Azizul said Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury and Dr Richard L Benkin, an American citizen, helped in efforts to portray IDP in a positive light across the globe especially in the developed countries.

In an e-mail to this correspondent, Dr Benkin confirmed the statement. He said, “Mr. Huq is correct. Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury and I continuously try to bridge the gulf between religious communities throughout the world and always look for opportunities to promote a positive image of Bangladesh worldwide.

“Mr. Huq and I met for hours one day in Dhaka many months ago and recognised our common belief in God and faith. We also….. 'agreed to disagree' in the spirit of interfaith understanding and democracy.

“The newly formed Islamic Democratic Party opens the door for Muslims to separate themselves before the entire world from radicals and terrorists while at the same time affirming their strength in the Muslim [Islam] faith.”

Shoaib, who was arrested at Zia International Airport in November, 2003 and charged with sedition in January, 2004, told The Daily Star, “The government gave permission to launch Islamic Democratic Party and host the Iftar party under the state of emergency. It's a green signal, and it allowed IDP to shed the names of HuJi and Islamic Gono Andolon."

He added, “Since IDP echoes the demand for establishing ties between Dhaka and Jerusalem, and upholds interfaith understanding, it is our responsibility to promote them at international level."

Earlier, speaking at Friday's programme, he said, "Islamic parties are stereotyped as anti-democracy. The emergence of IDP represents new trends in the country's politics as it believes in democracy while being an Islamic party.

“The name of IDP is connected to HuJi, an organisation that is widely criticised. Those who brand IDP as a terrorist organisation run on foreign funds."

He also said, “If Hizb-ut Tahrir, which is banned across the countries and had role in the Bali blasts, and anti-Liberation forces like Jamaat-e-Islami can operate openly, why can't IDP?”

Besides the one in Dhaka, IDP held Iftar parties in Chapainawabganj on September 6, Rajshahi on September 8, and Rangpur on September 15. Another one is scheduled to be held in Natore today.

Meanwhile, sources said IDP will form a full committee through a national convention before the ninth parliamentary election.

It also plans an alliance with other small parties--Islamic, non-Islamic and ethnic--and a token participation in the December 18 election, they added.

The party has already applied for registration with the Election Commission (EC).

Azizul Haque said, "We are preparing for registration on meeting the conditions specified in the application form. At the same time, we are working to have organisational structures for district and upazila levels."

The HuJi men who are now with IDP claim they had nothing to do with the blasts and some other acts of violence attributed to HuJi in general. Rather, it was a splinter group led by Mufti Hannan and Abdur Rouf that was responsible for the attacks.

They said they expelled Hannan from the organisation in 1998. After some time, they formed a political party named Islamic Gono Andolon against the backdrop of HuJi being listed as a terrorist organisation internationally.

During the BNP-led four-party alliance rule, Gono Andolon ran its organisational activities in secret as it tried not to be associated with the militant campaign that was being carried out by Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh at that time.

Gono Andolon was renamed Sacheton Islami Janata on August 19, 2006 following an understanding with the then government that allowed the organisation to work out in the open.

They have been trying to get permission since the caretaker administration took over in January last year, and obtained it six to seven months back, an IDP source said.

A former HuJi cadre said beginning in late eighties and working throughout the nineties, HuJi built up a network across madrasas. It organised arms training for students in hilly forest areas.

On different occasions, he continued, it sent trained youths to Afghanistan to participate in the war there. HuJi operatives were dispatched to Myanmar as well to fight for Rohingya militants against the Myanmarese army.

MESSAGE FROM DR. RICHARD L. BENKIN

Statement to the Islamic Democratic Party of Bangladesh
From Dr. Richard L. Benkin; Chicago, USA

My dear brothers, please accept my heartfelt congratulations on your forming a non-communal party of Believers. Too often in our world people conclude that those who are strong in one faith must be intolerant of those strong in other faiths. We know that this is not correct. In fact, all of us who look to our own Holy Books for guidance on this matter will find that none of them direct us to be intolerant of others. It is true that people can pick a few lines out of the many in the Quran or the Torah, for instance, that seem to sanction intolerance; but they ignore the greater message of our holy teachings.

Yet, even if this is an obvious truth to us, it is not so for many people—Muslims, Jews, Hindus, and others; those in the West and those in the East. There are several and varied reasons for that, but I will leave it to scholars who have the time to consider them. It is far more important to recognize that, ultimately, people judge these matters not by what our holy books say, but by what we do. Islam, in particular, is faced with the charge of intolerance because those people who prominently claim to represent the Religion of the Prophet act in an intolerant even murderous fashion. Every time a terrorist bomber kills innocent people and says it is in the name of Islam; he does serious damage to the image of that faith in the world. When Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad says that Israel must be wiped off the map and says he and the Iranian mullahs speak for Islam; they do serious damage to the image of that faith in the world. Every time he and others who say they represent Islam claim (falsely!) that the Holocaust never happened, they not only sully the memory of six million Jewish martyrs, including members of my own family; but they also do serious damage to the image of Islam in the world. Worse still, when Muslim leaders—whether religious or secular—refuse to condemn such actions in unconditional terms and even support them; when they refuse to preach their condemnation every Friday; when they call other faiths “gutter religions”; when they call people like me a “son of apes and pigs,” especially from the mosque; they do serious damage to the image of Islam in the world.

I am an unyielding opponent of terrorism—which is no less evil because someone claims to carry it out in the name of Islam or any other faith. I am proud to loudly proclaim myself a Zionist—which means I support a Jewish state on our ancestral homeland in the Middle East. I have stood tall in the refugee camps in West Bengal and proclaimed my defense of the Bangladeshi Hindus who have been brutalized; who have been forced to flee to those squalid places. And I am proud of my Jewish faith, my Jewish heritage, and my Jewish history. But, as many people know, I also have been a staunch defender of Islam, even to the point of having a very loud and public debate with the head of a major Jewish organization.

Why do people find that a contradiction? It is because they find it difficult to get past what they see and hear from those whose real faith is power, whose real worship is propaganda not prayer. It is because there are people who seek to divide us along lines of religion, who are the apostles of communalism and eternal strife.

You, my brothers, of the Islamic Democratic Party are offering the rest of us a chance to see the path that will get us out of our current state of world conflict. For you reject communalism, reject the terrorism of those who would destroy my people and call it holy, reject ethnic cleansing—and most importantly, you do so while proclaiming your pride in and abiding faith in Islam. I remind people that it was my religious Muslim brothers from Bangladesh who first proposed to me an alliance among Believers; who recognize that our faiths unite us and it is people who divide us.

Today, you are taking a giant step toward realizing that goal, and I am honored to be with you on that journey. I look forward to the day when we again can embrace in Dhaka and spread our message of faith; a message that rejects hatred among Believers and rejects the communalism that has caused so much death and destruction for our peoples and especially in South Asia.

If the events of January 2007 taught us anything, it is that Bangladesh can never return to the corruption and communalism of the past; can never return to the rule of the Begums; can never be whole if it is run by those who would divide its people. The Islamic Democratic Party offers Bangladesh an alternative to that sad state of affairs. It offers Believers a path by which they can remain strong in their own beliefs while respecting the beliefs of others. Let us one day sit down together in Dhaka and together lead the world in this mission. I offer special prayers to my Muslim brothers, Mualana Sheikh Abdus Salam, Kazi Azizul Huq, and Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury. In the words of my people:

L’chaim, To life!
AND
Shalom Aleichem, Peace be with you!

MESSAGE FROM WEEKLY BLITZ EDITOR

Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2008 05:19:03 -0700 (PDT)
From: Salah Choudhury
Subject: Re: INVITATION
To: Islamic Democratic Party

Dear Brother Abdus Salam:

 

Congratulations and Assalamu Alaikum!

 

Finally you have shown the Power of Allah in getting the permission of your Iftar party, when many evil forces tried to foil it. I am sure, this very permission is the endorsement of Allah, and may IDP be his chosen party.

 

I hope, you will continue to promote inter-faith understanding, confront religious hatred and killing of innocent people in the name of religion. Allah never allows people to kill another in the name of religion. These are all men created notions, mostly promoted by corrupt leaders in Palestine, Iran etc. May Allah also protect you from the grips of these evil forces.

 

God willing, I shall attend your party and thank you very much for remembering me.

 SALAH UDDIN SHOAIB CHOUDHURY

Journalist, Columnist, Author & Peace Activist

Editor & Publisher, Weekly Blitz www.weeklyblitz.net

PEN USA Freedom to Write Award 2005; AJC Moral Courage Award 2006

Key to the Englewood City, USA [Highest Honor] 2007; Monaco Media Award, 2007