The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is the largest Islamist political party in the country. Nearly 40% of the members of the party that opposed the nation’s Liberation War are women.
These women are also members of the party's central working council and central decision-making body, called the Majlis-e-Shura. However, there is no female leadership at the policy-making level of the party.
A similar situation prevails in another Islamist party, Islami Andolan Bangladesh. Although there is women's participation at various levels of this party, there are no women among the core leadership. Even in the past, no woman could rise to leadership positions in these two parties.
However, the situation is worse in some other political parties where there is limited or no women's participation at any level at all.
Political analysts say that the participation of women in Islamic politics is very low. Although there is women's participation in some parties, the proportion is poor compared to male participation. There are no political activities in Islamic educational institutions and women's madrasahs.
Some analysts think that women's participation is higher in parties that are based on shrines and khanqahs.
A review of the constitution and working methods of some Islamist parties shows that they maintain a commitment to prevent violence against women, oppose dowry, and formulate new policies in favour of women. Some analysts also mention that a few parties or groups deliberately try to block the issue of women's emancipation by citing it as a religious barrier.
Twelve Islamist political parties in the country are registered with the Election Commission (EC). They are Zaker Party, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, Bangladesh Khilafat Andolan, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh, Islamic Front Bangladesh, Islami Oikya Jote, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Bangladesh Islami Front, Khelafat Majlish, Insaniat Biplob Bangladesh, and Bangladesh Supreme Party (BSP).
State of women's participation in registered parties
Zaker Party’s politics revolves around Atrashi Mazar of Faridpur district. The party has a large number of women supporters across the country.
Party General Secretary Shamim Haider said that according to the Public Representation Ordinance, there should be 33.33% female participation in the political parties of the country, and his party maintains the same ratio in its central committee. However, Shamim Haider could not say how many members are in the central committee of the party.
Bangladesh Tarikat Federation has at least 22-23% women in its 101-member central committee. Secretary General of the party Syed Rezaul Haque Chandpuri said: "We consider the participation of women very important. We have made it mandatory to increase the participation of women in all our committees. I have also given a letter to all levels of the party.”
However, Rezaul Haque Chandpuri pointed out that the participation of women in the district level committees of the Tarikat Federation is low. Instructions have been given to the concerned districts to improve this situation.
Islamic Andolan Secretary Ahmad Abdul Qayyum, said: "We do not have any separate organization for women. But they work with us under the name Mahila Unit. There is no central committee for the unit. Activities at the district and thana level are carried out under the supervision of women and the family welfare secretary of each division.”
The main activities of women workers relate to providing education, conveying information, and assisting their male colleagues in party activities.
Khelafat Majlish has a separate subsidiary organization for women, Bangladesh Islami Mahila Majlish.
The party’s Joint Secretary General Professor Md Abdul Jalil said that participation of 33% women members will be ensured in his party. He said: "There are 33% women members in the central committee. There are 35 women members in the 97-member committee.”
On the other hand, there are only two women members in the central committee of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish.
In this regard, Joint Secretary General Maulana Ataullah Amin said: "We want to establish Islam. In order to establish Islam, both men and women need to participate in the party activities.”
There are at least 12-13 women in the central committee of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh. The highest post that a woman holds in the party is women's affairs secretary. There are 15 women in the central committee of Islamic Front Bangladesh, a party source said.
Bangladesh Supreme Party (BSP) Chairman Syed Saifuddin Al Hasani could not be reached for information on his newly formed party.
Insaniyat Biplob Bangladesh obtained its registration last year. It is not known what kind of women's representation there is in the central committee of this party.
In 2008, when the registration of political parties got under way, the EC made it mandatory for all political parties to ensure 33% female participation at all levels. Despite the obligation being one of compliance with it by 2020, none of the parties could fulfill this condition. Subsequently, the EC amended the law in October 2023 and extended it by another 10 years till 2030.
What is the situation with other parties?
The number of unregistered Islamist or religion-based political parties is at least fifty. The participation and leadership of women in these parties are poor. Most of these parties that come to the fore during elections are inactive for the rest of the time.
Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dhaka Metropolitan South unit Assistant Publicity Secretary Ashraful Alam Imon said that about 40% of Jamaat's total members are women.
Advocate Matiur Rahman Akand, another central leader of the party, said: "There are about one lakh members in our party."
Ashraful Alam Imon mentioned that the Jamaat even has women members in its thana level units. Besides, more intensive supervision is conducted through the specialized women's wing.
The Jamaat's women's wing has committees in metropolitan cities, thana, and even union levels, sources said.
Leaders of Nizam-e-Islam Party and the Islamic Democratic Party could not be reached for comments on their organizations.
Why do women participate less in Islamic politics?
Islamic writer and thinker Manzoorul Haque believes that women are rarely seen in the leadership of Islamic politics in Bangladesh for three reasons.
Manjurul Haque explains: “Firstly, there is no place for activism in women's madrasas in the country. There are no activists with Islamic ideologies. In women's madrasas, there is hardly any Islamic lecture, or music is heard.”
Secondly, he said: "During the 11th national elections, the Islami Andolan Bangladesh nominated women members to contest the polls. This drew huge criticism.”
According to him, the criticism arose on the question of women seeking votes with a veil on their faces and how the entire episode looked in the context of the socio-economic situation of the country. This is why women's participation has decreased in the country’s Islamic politics.
As the third reason, he mentioned that there is a question about women's leadership in our country. For example, the Islamic Andolan did not participate in the four-party alliance under the leadership of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. It should be noted that there is a basic idea in Islamic leadership that women cannot be in politics or any leadership position. In this regard, there is also an analogy of the Qur'an-Hadith. Men will lead. Women are underrepresented in Islamist groups for these three reasons.
Based mainly on various sources of religion, the participation of women in the main leadership of Islamic parties is low. In this context, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, in an interview with international media, said: "In an Islamic state, women can be members of parliament, ministers, but they cannot be the head of state."
There have always been different views on women's leadership, irrespective of religious groups, organizations and ideologies. In modern times, some have expressed a positive view about women's leadership by bringing forward the issue of Muslim women rulers of different countries.
An analyst of religion-based politics said there is no activity on Islamic politics in women's madrasas. Women's madrasas train women to become good housekeepers, good mothers, and good wives rather than becoming economically empowered or actively participating in politics.