A figure in Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islami has said he did not state that the party would refuse to apologize for its role in the country's 1971 war of independence, according to dw.com. The remark, reported by dw.com on Friday, responds to claims about the party's position on the apology question.
The issue has drawn wider attention amid renewed discussion of the party's stance on 1971. Prothom Alo reported on an internal divide within Jamaat over whether to apologize for its conduct during the war, framed through the memoirs of Barrister Abdur Razzaq. A separate report by bd-pratidin.com said the party has acknowledged its role in 1971.
The Daily Star Bangla reported that Law Minister Anisul Huq said many of Jamaat's questions would have been settled had Barrister Razzaq's statement been signed in 2016. Bangladesh Journal also carried a statement from Khatme Nabuwat responding to the law minister's remarks.
Together, the reports point to an unresolved argument inside and around Jamaat about how the party should address its wartime record, and to a parallel exchange between the party and the government over a statement attributed to Razzaq.
What to watch next is whether Jamaat issues a formal position on apologizing for 1971, and how the government responds to the party's account of Razzaq's statement.