The government has banned the Bangladesh chapter of the Pakistan-based Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir amid a curfew for their complicity in the recent spate of terrorist activities amid the students’ quota reform movement that saw over 200 deaths.
This is the third time Bangladesh has banned Jamaat, which was founded in 1941 and assisted the Pakistani military in committing genocide by forming armed groups like Razakar, al-Badr, al-Shams and the Peace Committee. It was then known as Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, while the student group was called Islami Chhatra Sangha.
Jamaat and other religion-based political parties were banned immediately after independence in an executive order in 1971, and later in 1972, when the Awami League government promulgated the country’s Constitution.
Former president 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. Since then, Jamaat-Shibir activists have been found involved in brutal killings and violent protests on many occasions.
The Public Security Division of the Home Ministry issued a gazette notification on Thursday, saying the government banned Jamaat under Clause 18(1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009.
The gazette says 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.
Earlier, Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made the decision during a meeting with the senior leaders of the 14-party alliance.
With Jamaat, the country now has a total of 10 outlawed political parties and groups.
Banned organizations
According to the existing laws, these organizations cannot operate in any capacity in Bangladesh.
- Shahadat-e-Al Hikma
- Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B)
- Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB)
- Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB)
- Hizb ut-Tahrir
- Ansarullah Bangla Team
- Ansar al-Islam
- Allah’r Dal
- Jamaat-ul-Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya
4 banned in BNP regime
The first group to be banned by the four-party alliance government was the militant organization Shahadat-e-Al Hikma on February 9, 2003.
Later, the government banned Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) on February 23, 2005, and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B) on October 17 of the same year for terrorist activities.
JMB founder Shayakh Abdur Rahman and JMJB chief Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai were arrested in 2006 and executed the following year.
6 banned during Awami League tenure
During the current Awami League government's tenure, six organizations, including Jamaat-e-Islami, have been banned.
International organization Hizb ut-Tahrir was banned on October 22, 2009, for promoting extremism.
Will Jamaat be tried as a terrorist group now?After the killing of secularist blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider in 2013, Ansarullah Bangla Team's activities came to light, and it was banned on May 22, 2015.
After its ban, Ansarullah members started activities under the name Ansar al Islam, led by dismissed Major Ziaul Haque, who planned a failed coup in the military.
Ansar al-Islam was banned in March 2017 after a series of killings of secularists and war crimes trial campaigners.
Allah'r Dal was formed in 1995 and merged with JMB in late 2004. Its involvement was found in the nationwide JMB bombings on August 17, 2005.
After JMB was banned, Allah'r Dal became active again under Amin Matin Mehdi's leadership.
In 2014, it changed its name to "Allah'r Sorkar." The organization tried to reorganize across the country with the help of banned JMB in 2019.
Law enforcement arrested eight members, including acting Amir Ibrahim Ahmed, and the Ministry of Home Affairs banned Allah'r Dal on November 6, 2019.
On August 9, 2023, Jamaat-ul-Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya was banned. According to a gazette notification from the Public Security Division, the government deemed the declared activities of this militant organization contrary to peace and order and a threat to public safety.
Historical context of political bans in Bangladesh
On January 25, 1975, the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution introduced a presidential government system, abolishing the multi-party parliamentary system.
On June 7 of the same year, the Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (Baksal) was established, and all political parties, including the Awami League, were dissolved.
Timeline: How Jamaat ban came to be?To save a decaying society, the nation's Father of Independence, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, banned all parties and formed Baksal to bring everyone under one platform. It was announced as the Second Revolution.
All classes and professions, including the general public, military, civilian bureaucrats, government officials, journalists, had the legal opportunity to join Baksal.
However, after the brutal assassination of the Father of the Nation on August 15, 1975, this plan was not implemented.
Later, when Ziaur Rahman came to power, he declared martial law and restricted political activities and the freedom of the press. Later, he reintroduced multi-party democracy through a military ordinance, allowing the Awami League and old parties to resume their activities.
General Zia also lifted the ban on religion-based political parties, following which the then-Jamaat Ameer, Ghulam Azam, returned home and resumed politics.
History of Jamaat’s politics
Jamaat was formed on August 26, 1941, in Lahore's Islamia Park as part of a socio-political Islamic movement.
Jamaat opposed the creation of a separate state for Muslims, Pakistan. After independence and the partition of India and Pakistan, its founder, Abul Ala Maududi, moved to Pakistan.
During the Pakistan period, Jamaat was once banned. On January 4, 1964, Jamaat's activities were banned for opposing the Muslim Family Ordinance introduced by Gen Ayub Khan.
Maududi and Ghulam Azam, along with at least 60 leaders of the party, were arrested. The ban was lifted in October of the same year.
Jamaat strongly opposed the breaking up of Pakistan during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Members of the party led the formation of the Peace Committee, Razakar, al-Badr and al-Shams to assist the Pakistani army in committing genocide, rape, looting, arson, and forced conversion of Hindus into Islam. Its leaders professed that Pakistan was the house of Allah, and labelled the Awami League supporters and the Hindus as miscreants and agents of India.
During the war, a provincial government was formed in September 1971, with Dr Abdul Malik as governor and Abbas Ali Khan (later acting Amir of Jamaat) as the education minister.
After Bangladesh’s independence, religion-based politics was banned, which included Jamaat. Leaders like Ghulam Azam went into exile in Pakistan.
Following the assassination of Bangabandhu, in August 1976, Gen Ziaur Rahman reopened all types of political activities by promulgating the Political Party Ordinance, allowing Jamaat to return to the political scene. It joined the Islamic Democratic Party at that time.
Later, when Ghulam Azam returned from Pakistan, the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh was formed in May 1979, with Abbas Ali Khan as the acting Ameer.
Since then, Jamaat has continuously been active in Bangladeshi politics. The party has faced various allegations of terrorist activities in independent Bangladesh.
It participated in the parliamentary elections of 1979, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2008, having varying degrees of representation in these six parliaments.
After the Awami League came to power in 2009, the International Crimes Tribunal was established in 2010 to try those accused of war crimes.
Four top leaders of Jamaat, including Ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami and Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mujaheed, were sentenced to death.
Ghulam Azam was sentenced to 90 years in prison, while Delawar Hossain Sayedee’s death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. Both died while serving jail terms.
Following a writ petition, the High Court canceled Jamaat's registration in 2013.
Five years after this ruling, on October 28, 2018, the Election Commission issued a notification canceling the party's registration.
Jamaat appealed against the High Court's order, but on November 19, 2023, the Appellate Division dismissed the appeal, upholding the previous ruling.
