27th September 2008

Mr Shafi U Ahmed
High Commissioner
Bangladesh High Commission
28 Queen’s Gate
London
SW7 5JA

Re: Arrests of Hizb ut-Tahrir members in Bangladesh

Dear Mr Ahmed,

As you know ten members and activists of Hizb ut-Tahrir Bangladesh were arrested in Rajshahi on 18/09/08 and subsequently various media have published false and misleading news about the party.  
As part of the party’s programmes for the blessed month of Ramadhan, Hizb ut-Tahrir in Bangladesh distributed a leaflet from the first of Ramadhan. On 09/09/08, we distributed the leaflet in Rajshahi and since then various media started a propaganda campaign against the party. In order to respond to the false propaganda against the party we organized a press conference at Rajshahi Press Club on 18/09/08. However the local police stopped the press conference and unjustly arrested all ten of our members and activists present at the venue.

In their first statement to the media the police alleged that the press conference was organized without permission and in violation of the state of emergency! It is known by all of us that on 09/09/07 the Chief Advisor announced a lifting of the ban on indoor politics and that there was no need for permission to hold any event attended by less than 50 people. Later on 12/05/08 the government issued a circular increasing that number to 200. Thus no permission is required for holding an event with less than 200 people attending and the police accusation is therefore totally false.  

As for our leaflet, anyone who has read the leaflet will find that it contains a message to the Muslims regarding their current state of decline, humiliation and despair. The leaflet reminds the Muslim Ummah of their past glory and their duty to unite and implement the Qur’an and Sunnah by re-establishing the Khilafah (Caliphate) system so as to restore their position as the leading nation.
I would like to remind you of our position that this work must be done in accordance with the methodology of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). This method involves undertaking the work of generating public opinion and awareness about Islam as a political ideology. It also involves undertaking political struggle against the corrupt rulers and mobilizing the people to remove them. This is the method that Hizb ut-Tahrir adopted since the establishment of the party and we are steadfast on this method relying on Allah (SWT) for success.

Therefore Hizb ut-Tahrir is a non-violent global political party and no one can furnish a single piece of evidence of any violent activity by the members of the party anywhere in the world. Hizb ut-Tahrir does not undertake violence in its work to re-establish the Khilafah due to its contradiction with clear commands of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Allah (SWT) says,

“Whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein; and the Wrath and Curse of Allah are upon him and a great punishment is prepared for him” (An-Nisa: 93)

Therefore we categorically deny any link with Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and those who are trying to link Hizb ut-Tahrir, Bangladesh with JMB are doing so with malicious intentions. We demand an investigation into the source of the letter which is being used to link us with the JMB.

Finally I would like to respond to the vicious propaganda against us by some media who are misquoting our statements at the protest meeting held at the Engineer’s Institution on 19/09/08. They are spreading lies that we threatened to carry out violent acts against the people if our demand to release the members and activists of the party is not accepted. You will have noticed that the media propaganda against us is led by the Prothom Alo-Daily Star group. As you all know Hizb ut-Tahrir, Bangladesh is constantly revealing the plots and designs of this media group as well as their imperialist masters against Islam and the people and urging the people to resist them. We would like to assure you and the people that our protest activities against the unjust arrests of party members and activists will always be in accordance with our adopted method discussed above and we will not announce any programme of activity which threatens public security and peace. 

Ten Hizb ut-Tahrir members have been arrested in this blessed month of Ramadhan for calling to Islam and uniting Muslims to implement Allah’s law by re-establishing the Khilafah. In a land of 150 million Muslims, it is never a crime to make such a call. This is clearly an injustice.

We demand:

1. The immediate release of those arrested in Bangladesh;
2. An end to the U.S., Indian and British interference in our political affairs;
3. That Hizb ut-Tahrir’s work in Bangladesh is allowed to continue unimpeded. Calling for the re-establishment of the Khilafah system is the only way to solve the many economic, social and political problems plaguing Bangladesh. It is also an Islamic obligation and the system that was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) which united and elevated the Muslim world for over 1300 years;

Yours sincerely,

Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain