At least 50 lakh young Bangladeshis are reportedly prepared to defend the country against India in the event of an attack, according to Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, deputy ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.
He made the remarks while addressing a public reception organized by the Bangladesh American Association in New York on Saturday.
Rejecting warnings about potential foreign intervention if his party comes to power, Dr Taher said, "I pray they come. If they do, the false stigma imposed on us in 1971 will be exposed, and we will have the chance to prove ourselves as true freedom fighters for Bangladesh's independence."
He added that part of these youth would participate in guerrilla warfare, while the rest would spread across the country to implement a broader campaign. "There will be a grand plan inspired by the Prophet's campaigns (ghazwa)," he said.
Dr Taher also criticised other major political parties, claiming they would not resist India. "The Awami League will cooperate with India. Another major party is neither willing nor organized to fight. Who, then, will be the organized force We will. We will be the genuine freedom fighters," he asserted.
On economic development, Dr Taher highlighted the transformative potential of zakat, the Islamic almsgiving, for poverty eradication. "If zakat is collected and distributed officially, poverty in Bangladesh could be eliminated within three to four years. Efforts will also be made to channel zakat from other Muslim countries to Bangladesh, creating funds worth thousands of crores," he said.
He illustrated the impact with an example "If a young person receives 5 lakh taka from zakat to run ten snack-cart businesses, at least ten people could be employed daily. Each cart, with 20,000 taka in capital, could generate 700-800 taka daily, yielding a monthly income of around 90,000 taka for the manager."
