Ershad takes away curse, not blessing: Hifazat

District Correspondent, CHITTAGNOG, Nov 24: Jatiya Party (JP) President Hussein Muhammed Ershad took away curse not blessings from Hifazat-e Islam chief Shah Ahmad Shafi, a statement from the group said Saturday.

Ershad held a meeting with Hifazat chief Shah Ahmad Shafi in Chittagong on Nov 17, a day after he had announced parting his ways with the ruling coalition.

“I only came to seek blessings from the ‘hujur’ (Shafi),” the JP chief had said after meeting the head of the Hathazari Madrasa.

After Ershad’s 50-minute meeting with Shafi, Babunagri last week had said the JP chief had assured of implementing Hifazat’s 13-point charter of demand.

Ershad, known for making conflicting statements, had said the JP would not contest polls without the BNP’s participation. He retracted his statement several days later saying he would go to the polls “for the sake of his party”.

Five days after Ershad-Shafi meeting, Zunaid Babunagri, Secretary General of Hifazat issued the statement saying the former military ruler had only received Shafi’s ‘curse’.

In his statement, Babunagri said the Hifazat chief had prayed for successes of those who worked for the Islam.

“However, it was a curse and not a blessing [for Ershad] given the Jatiya Party Chairman’s current political stance,” he said.

Babunagri claimed many religious scholars were of the view that Ershad had been trying to ‘use’ Islam as a stepping stone to assume power.

The Hifazat secretary general claimed Ershad was ‘deceiving’ both the religious scholars and the people with his rhetoric on Islam and the Muslims.

“There’s not a sign of religious edict in his personal life although he speaks of his various deeds for Islam,” Babunagri said.

He recalled how the ex-dictator had changed sides to cling to power.

Babunagri said everyone was angry with the JP chief’s role. “People are scolding him,” said the statement.


“He will not escape the tragic consequence of betraying the people’s trust,” Babunagri added.

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