The ruling Awami League government has banned Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir—the notorious political parties responsible for war crimes during the country’s Liberation War—for their complicity in the recent spate of violence amid the students’ quota reform movement that saw over 200 deaths.
According to a gazette notification issued by the Public Security Division of the Home Ministry, the decision will be implemented under Clause 18(1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009.
The gazette, issued amid a curfew, said that the government has sufficient evidence that Jamaat-Shibir members were involved in the recent killings and destructive and terrorist activities, both directly and through incitement.
On Monday, top leaders of the 14-party alliance, led by the Awami League, agreed to ban Jamaat and Shibir during a meeting chaired by Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The supporters of the ruling party, war crimes trial campaigners, and members of civil society welcomed the government move, while many said it was long overdue. This is the third time Bangladesh has banned Jamaat, which assisted the Pakistani military in committing genocide by forming armed groups like Razakar, al-Badr, al-Shams and the Peace Committee.
Former president and and BNP founder General Ziaur Rahman lifted the ban on religion-based politics after the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, thus creating scope for Jamaat's revival.
After independence, the Provisional Government of Bangladesh banned Jamaat, while Banganandhu incorporated the ban on religion-based parties in the Constitution.
On the other hand, Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman said that the government made the decision to divert the ongoing movement and cover up their misdeeds.
In a statement, the chief of the Bangladesh chapter of the Pakistan-based political party also alleged that the government violated the constitution by banning Jamaat-Shibir, while claiming that Jamaat played a role by taking a strong stand against militancy, terrorism and extremism.
The Home Ministry mentioned three verdicts of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD Case No. 06 of 2011, ICT-BD Case No. 02 of 2012, ICT-BD Case No. 03 of 2012), where Jamaat (previously named Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh) and its student wing Chhatra Shibir (previously known as Islami Chhatra Sangha) were held liable for committing genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.
Six of the top leaders of Jamaat have been hanged since the Tribunal commenced in 2010, while several other leaders, including its ameer during the war Ghulam Azam, died due to old age.
Besides, it said the High Court Division of the Supreme Court, following a writ petition, in August 2013 declared its registration illegal. The Supreme Court later upheld the HC verdict on November 19, 2023.
Prior to the gazette notification, the Law Ministry gave its legal opinion and forwarded the file to the Home Ministry. Afterwards, Law Minister Anisul Huq told reporters that these groups would no longer be able to engage in politics under their current names.
Different organizations, including Sector Commanders Forum-Muktijudda 71, Muktijoddha Oikya Parishad, Chhatra Sangram Parishad, Amra Muktijoddhar Santan and Gourab 71 expressed joy after the government banned Jamaat-Shibir.
Welcoming the government's decision, eminent citizens said it has met the longstanding demand of the people. "I think the people's longstanding desire has been met with the banning of Jamaat-Shibir," eminent educationist and former Dhaka University vice chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique told BSS.
He said after the independence, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's government had banned Jamaat for opposing Bangladesh's independence, their collaboration with Pakistani occupation forces to kill 3 million people and misusing religion for political purposes.
But it is ironic that after the assassination of Bangabandhu, Jamaat-Shibir was rehabilitated in the country's politics, said Prof Arefin. The academician said religion-based politics will not be okay with the spirit of Liberation War having four fundamental policies: nationalism, socialism, democracy, and secularism.
There can be religious organizations but doing politics using religion should not be allowed, he said, adding that Bangabandhu had said secularism does not mean the absence of religion, rather it means a peaceful coexistence of people from all beliefs in the society and performing their religions freely.
Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee President Shahriar Kabir said banning Jamaat-Shibir is a big victory of their movement as they were waging movement with the demand of bringing war criminals to justice and banning Jamaat and Shibir for long 33 years.
He extended thanks and congratulations to the government for banning Jamaat-Shibir, and said banning terrorist politics of Jamaat-Shibir required for ensuring security of the state and its people and making the current development activities sustainable.
Shahriar Kabir said politics of Jamaat-Shibir is not only a threat for security of Bangladesh but also for the entire South Asian region as the clique has link with regional and international terrorist groups.
He added that Jamaat has many social organizations, NGOs, educational, financial institutions and industries and it makes recruitment from educational institutions and invests in terrorism from their financial institutions which should be stopped.
Educationist and war crimes researcher Prof Muntassir Mamoon also welcomed the government's move, saying said different social-cultural and political organizations were demanding the ban on politics of Jamaat and Shibir for more than three decades.
He underscored the need for properly implementing the ban saying imposing ban and implementing it is different thing.
"Jamaat has an economic base and with which it managed terrorists and arms and ammunitions for carrying out terrorist acts. If the economic base remains intact, imposing ban will be meaningless," Prof Muntassir added.
He also urged the government to engage all progressive forces, including social, cultural and political organizations, to face Jamaat ideologically.
He stressed providing more budgetary allocation in the cultural sector to combat distorted interpretation of religion by Jamaat.
Noting that Sheikh Hasina's government brought war criminals to justice and banned the politics of Jamaat and Shibir, he said there is no alternative to Sheikh Hasina to properly implement the ban by doing all these things.
Bangladesh Mahila Parishad President Dr Fauzia Moslem said, the government, the state, administration, citizens, students' community, womenfolk and human rights organizations will have to work together to bring changes in society to properly implement the ban on politics of Jamaat and Shibir.
"With the spirit of the Liberation War, it is our national duty to retrieve the country from the clutch of religion-based and communal politics," she added.
