He was elected as the ameer – party chief – last month; prior to that he worked as the acting ameer of the party for six years after then ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami was arrested on June 29, 2010.
Dr Shafiqur Rahman was made acting secretary general of the party after then secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed was arrested on the same day.
Both Nizami and Mujaheed were convicted of war crimes during Liberation War in 1971 and were sentenced to death. Mujaheed was executed on November 22 last year, while Nizami was executed on May 11 this year.
Both Nizami and Mujaheed were the first Jamaat ameer and secretary general, respectively, who were elected via direct ballot by the party rokons – top-level organisers – in 2001. They were re-elected in 2009, and no election took place after their arrest until last month, said party sources.