The government has announced an initiative to ban the Jamaat-e-Islami, which opposed the 1971 Liberation War, and its student wing the Chhatra Shibir.
The decision has created unease and suspicion within the BNP. Some believe that banning the Jamaat's politics would be beneficial for the country in the long run.
Several BNP leaders said that just four days ago, the BNP had called for national unity, including right-wing, left-wing, and Islamic parties.
This has led to suspicions that the government's decision came as a response to this potential united opposition movement.
Some leaders question why the Jamaat supported the BNP's call for unity only after the government's ban was announced.
Jamaat: Government plotting to ban party to hide its misdeedsOn Tuesday afternoon, in a statement, the Jamaat's Secretary General Maulana ATM Masum said: "We appreciate the call for national unity made by the BNP Secretary General and we agree to join the national unity under the banner of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami."
A responsible BNP official said that ifthe Jamaat is banned, the BNP will hold a meeting to decide on the matter and view it politically.
There is no opportunity to engage in politics with a banned party, so the BNP will not make any public comments before the government's decision.
A high-level BNP leader claimed: "Those who trapped the BNP into calling for national unity, including the Jamaat, do not want the BNP to succeed."
A senior BNP leader said that senior leaders were unaware of the unity call, and even the signatures on the letter sent to the media are in question.
The letter was signed by the BNP secretary general on July 26, but he could not be reached for comment.
Several BNP leaders claim that Salahuddin Ahmed, a member of the BNP Standing Committee, played a role in advocating for unity with Jamaat.
Due to his direct involvement, religiously oriented parties are again leaning towards the BNP.
Positive for BNP
Some BNP leaders view the potential ban on the Jamaat positively. One said: "Banning the Jamaat will settle Bangladesh's politics, and in the long run, politics will become more positive."
Some senior leaders believe that BNP will benefit politically from this ban as the responsibility of carrying Jamaat will end.
The relationship between the BNP and the Jamaat began in 1991 when Jamaat supported the BNP in forming the government. Subsequently, in 1999, the BNP formed a four-party alliance with Jamaat, and in 2001, Jamaat joined the government after BNP's election victory.
BNP leaders noted that in 2015, during the Dhaka City Corporation elections, some senior BNP leaders reconsidered their alliance with Jamaat.
How will govt enforce Jamaat ban?Ahead of the 2018 national elections, BNP began to publicly distance itself from Jamaat. In August of that year, grassroots leaders proposed abandoning Jamaat during a meeting with the central leadership. However, the relationship warmed again when BNP allocated its election symbol to Jamaat candidates.
During the pandemic in 2020, BNP's standing committee reviewed the alliance with Jamaat. Most committee members suggested that the relevance of religious parties had diminished both nationally and internationally.
In the lead-up to the 2023 national elections, BNP and Jamaat did not publicly engage in joint activities, but their relationship strengthened post-election with ongoing meetings between senior leaders.
Amid this, BNP called for unity against the government on July 26.
Public statements from BNP
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir sees the government's initiative to ban the Jamaat as a means of diverting public attention from the quota movement.
At a press conference, he criticized the ban, stating that the BNP believes in multi-party democracy and that everyone has the right to engage in politics.
What will Jamaat-Shibir do?
Jamaat's leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman has protested the government's decision, calling it illegal and unconstitutional.
Shibir leaders also condemned the decision as illegal and anti-constitutional.
Regarding future actions, a regional director of the Jamaat hinted that during a central council meeting in January 2019, there was a decision to adopt a new name, suggesting that rebranding might be imminent.
In October 2022, Jamaat activists formed the Bangladesh Development Party, which applied for registration with the Election Commission.
The party is led by Advocate Anwarul Islam Chan and Kazi Nizamul Haque, both former leaders within the BNP and Shibir.
In 2013, the High Court declared the Jamaat's registration illegal following a case filed by the Secretary General of the Tarikat Federation, Syed Rezaul Haque Chandpuri.
