Former Member of Parliament Major (retd) Akhtaruzzaman was last expelled from the BNP on 20 February 2022 on allegations of involvement in activities that went against party discipline. Although he lost his formal party affiliation at that time, he did not completely withdraw from politics. Instead, he continued to remain active in the public sphere by regularly speaking on national political issues through television talk shows and social media platforms. His recent decision to join Jamaat-e-Islami has once again brought him into the spotlight, triggering mixed reactions in his home district of Kishoreganj.
A decorated freedom fighter, Akhtaruzzaman is a native of Katiadi upazila in Kishoreganj district. He represented the Kishoreganj-2 constituency, which comprises Katiadi and Pakundia upazilas, after being elected twice as a BNP candidate in the parliamentary elections of 1991 and 1996. He later contested the 11th national parliamentary election using the BNP’s sheaf of paddy symbol, although he was defeated on that occasion. During his political career, he also served as president of the district BNP. News of his joining Jamaat began circulating in the area on Saturday afternoon, prompting renewed political discussion. The debate intensified after a photograph showing him standing beside the Jamaat amir while holding flowers spread widely on social media.
Akhtaruzzaman confirmed his decision to join Jamaat over the phone to গণমাধ্যম. When asked to elaborate on the reasons behind his move, he said that it was not possible to comment immediately and added that he would later sit down with journalists to speak openly about the matter.
According to party sources, on Saturday morning Akhtaruzzaman went to Jamaat’s office in Mogbazar in the capital, where he formally joined the party by filling out a membership form in the presence of Jamaat amir Shafiqur Rahman. In an official statement, Jamaat said that he joined after expressing firm confidence in the party’s principles and ideology, its sense of patriotism, and its unwavering stance on safeguarding the country’s independence and sovereignty. The statement further noted that he completed the form for primary associate membership and pledged loyalty to Jamaat’s rules, ideology, organisational discipline, and leadership.
When contacted for a response, Jamaat’s Katiadi upazila amir Mozammel Haque Jowardar said that they had not been officially informed through organisational channels. However, he acknowledged that the information had been publicised on Jamaat’s verified Facebook page. He added that an official reaction would be given once written notification was received.
After the photograph circulated online, discussions spread rapidly across Katiadi and Pakundia upazilas. Initial doubts about the authenticity of the image were eventually cleared, leading to a range of reactions among local residents and political activists. While some people viewed the development as a normal political transition, others criticised the decision sharply.
Katiadi upazila BNP general secretary Ariful Islam commented that Akhtaruzzaman’s political chapter had effectively ended long ago and that only time would determine how much success he could achieve by joining a new party.
Several BNP leaders, speaking on condition of anonymity, described Akhtaruzzaman as a headstrong individual who frequently drew the displeasure of the party’s central leadership because of outspoken remarks. They noted that he had been expelled multiple times for making comments against the party during talk shows. Although the BNP had reinstated him in the past, they said his future in any new party would depend largely on his political conduct and public statements.
Local sources said that for quite some time Akhtaruzzaman had been trying to return to active politics under a party banner. He had expressed interest in rejoining the BNP, spoken publicly in support of Khaleda Zia’s release and proper medical treatment, and even announced plans to work for the BNP-nominated candidate in Kishoreganj-2 in the current election. Against this backdrop, his decision to join Jamaat has sparked fresh political debate and generated varied reactions throughout the area.