Expelled BNP Leader Akhtaruzzaman Joins Jamaat

Freedom fighter and former BNP lawmaker Akhtaruzzaman has joined the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami.

The retired Army major completed the party’s associate membership process after meeting Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman at its office in the capital’s Moghbazar, reports bdnews24.com.

In a statement, Jamaat said that during the meeting, Akhtaruzzaman expressed confidence in the party’s ideology and principles, as well as its stance on safeguarding Bangladesh’s independence and sovereignty.

The party added that he pledged to dedicate the rest of his life to upholding Islamic values and working in what he described as the national interest, while remaining loyal to Jamaat’s rules and discipline.

Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar and Assistant Secretary General Abdul Halim were present at the meeting.

Akhtaruzzaman was elected to parliament from the Kishoreganj-2 constituency as a BNP candidate. He was expelled from the BNP on three occasions for making remarks critical of the party’s top brass.