Jamaat condemns minister's remark on ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ slogan

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has protested the Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud's comments regarding the slogan ‘Inquilab Zindabad.’

Assistant Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Head of its Central Publicity and Media Department Advocate Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair issued a statement and expressed deep concern and condemnation in this regard on Sunday.

In the statement, he said, "At a discussion meeting on International Mother Language Day, the comments made by Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Iqbal Hasan Mahmud regarding the slogan 'Inquilab Zindabad' are not only inconsistent, but also amount to denying the realities of history, linguistics, and the aspirations of the people".

"Although the word 'Inquilab' has Arabic origins, it has been used for decades in the subcontinent's independence movements, anti-autocracy struggles and movements to establish people's rights. Language is not confined within narrow boundaries; it is enriched, evolves, and acquires its own form through public usage", he said.He further stated that the Bangla language itself has reached its present form by incorporating words from numerous languages, including, Arabic, Persian, Portuguese, and English. Therefore, labeling a word as 'anti-Bangla' based on its origin contradicts the fundamental principles of linguistics.