Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Parliament's Leader of the Opposition, Dr Shafiqur Rahman, today said that the recent incidents of police assaults and detentions in different parts of the country reflect a return to a past culture of repression.

“Attacks by overenthusiastic police on journalists and working people are not isolated incidents. They are echoes of the old culture of repression,” he said in a post on his verified Facebook page at 9:19 pm.

In the first part of his post, written in Bangla, Shafiqur said, “The period from 2009 to 2024 was a long dark time. During this period, some dishonest and partisan police officials played an active role in sustaining fascist forces. We witnessed the consequences in 2024 -- public resentment against the police and the collapse of the moral foundation of the entire force.”

Stating that state power must not be used against citizens, he added, “Police officers, who are paid with taxpayers’ money, are meant to protect people, not repress them. Those who use the police for partisan interests or seek to revive a culture of excessive force will face legal and democratic resistance.”

Calling on the police to become people-friendly, the Jamaat ameer said, “The rule of law does not mean a display of force; it means the establishment of justice. We want to see a new political culture.”

“The new government must remember that the spirit of the July Revolution still lives on. The people who stood for that movement remain committed to ending corruption and protection from unjust harm or violence by the state or police. The era of fear has been broken; citizens are no longer willing to be subjugated or intimidated,” he wrote in the second part of the post, written in English.

“The media has discovered its freedom and the public has regained the confidence to hold power accountable. This democratic awakening cannot be reversed or ignored,” he added.

“We have always stood with the people and we will continue to stand with them in defence of justice, accountability and a fair and corruption-free society,” the Jamaat chief further said.