DHAKA: With the party’s back pressed to the wall, Jamaat-e-Islami turned around with a weeklong programme thrown Saturday to protest the arrest of its three top leaders and press for their release.

The programmes include countrywide demonstrations on July 4 and 5, staging human-chain demos across the country on July 7, and nafal fasting and doa for the release of the arrested leaders on July 9 and 10.

Jamaat Acting Secretary-General ATM Azharul Islam declared the programmes at the party’s Maghbazar central office at 12noon.

Azharul Islam said Jamaat along with the countrymen would continue its peaceful protest and democratic movement against the “torture being unleashed by the government” on their leaders.

“A strong movement will be waged if the government disrupts the programme,” the stand-in for the Islamic party’s secretary-general on a note of warning.

He alleged the government left no room for Jamaat either in Parliament or in the street.

“The government has unleashed unprecedented repression and torture on the Jamaat-Shibir leaders and activists in the country’s history during the period of June 29-July 2. This kind of autocratic and undemocratic behaviour in a civil and democratic society is beyond belief,” the Jamaat leader said, demanding immediate release of the top-brass leaders.

On Wednesday, police remanded Jamaat Ameer Moulana Matiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary-General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid and Nayab-e Ameer Delwar Hossain Sayedee for 16 days in five cases, a day after their arrest in a case of allegedly hurting Muslims’ religious sentiment.

Detectives began interrogating Mojahid and Sayedee at the DB headquarters Friday on the second day of remand in a case of allegedly obstructing police duties—a charge they denied.

The other accused of the case, Jamaat Ameer Moulana Matiur Rahman Nizami, was not taken out from the central jail for his illness.

Jamaat’s Assistant Secretaries-General Abdul Kader Molla and Professor Mujibur Rahman and city-unit Secretary-General Md Hamidur Rahman Azad MP were present.

BDST 1428 HRS July 3, 2010