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.’

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