Director General of the Islamic Foundation A. Salam Khan has denied allegations made by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, terming them ‘completely false’.
Speaking to UNB over the phone on Saturday evening, the DG said, “I did not say such a thing. It is completely false. Someone may have given him incorrect information to malign me.”
Earlier in the day, at a discussion and prayer meeting held at the National Press Club marking the anniversary of the July-August mass uprising, Rizvi alleged that the DG had told officers and staff of the Islamic Foundation that they would lose their jobs if they were not 'Rukon' (members) of a particular group.
Responding to this, A. Salam Khan said, “Rizvi probably made the comment based on misinformation. I have not made any such statement recently.”
In an official statement, the Islamic Foundation also condemned the remarks, calling them "deliberate and defamatory." The statement clarified that A. Salam Khan is a judicial officer, serving as a senior district and sessions judge, and a respected scholar. “Spreading such false statements in his name is both condemnable and purposeful,” the Foundation said.
At the event, Rizvi questioned the political neutrality of the Islamic Foundation DG, suggesting he was prioritising allegiance to a specific group over his institutional responsibilities.
He further alleged that the DG had told staff, “If you are not a Rukon, you won’t have a job,” and criticised the broader political climate under the current government.
Is this why Ahnaf, Mughdo, Abu Sayeed, Wasim gave their lives in the police firing during the July uprising? Rizvi questioned.
