DHAKA: Bangladesh’s largest Islamist political party, Jamaat-e-Islami, held its first public rally on Saturday in over a decade following a government crackdown. The rally, organized by the political ally of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), comes at a time of changing political dynamics in the country ahead of the upcoming general election later this year.
Jamaat-e-Islami had faced severe repercussions from the government’s crackdown on opposition parties over the past 15 years, particularly after the war crime trial against its leaders began in 2010. Five of its top leaders were executed between 2013 and 2016 for their involvement in war crimes during the country’s War of Independence in 1971. Additionally, thousands of Jamaat activists were arrested, and allegations of torture in custody emerged.
Jamaat-e-Islami lost its registration in 2013 and had to participate in the 2018 election using the BNP’s symbol, ultimately failing to secure any seats.
The ruling Awami League and its allies won a third consecutive term in the 2018 election, securing 288 out of 300 seats amidst allegations of significant irregularities and police involvement in ballot stuffing.
Jamaat-e-Islami’s Political Activities in Bangladesh
Jamaat-e-Islami had been denied permission to hold public events for the past decade, and its head, Shafiqur Rahman, is currently in jail. However, the party was granted permission by the police to hold the recent rally at Dhaka’s Institution of Engineers, following the announcement of a new US visa policy for Bangladesh that restricts visas for individuals believed to undermine the democratic election process.
While some speculate about the connection between the rally permission and the US visa policy, political analysts suggest it is likely that police approval was granted with the consent of the ruling party, as the Awami League has historically utilized Jamaat-e-Islami against its rivals.
Jamaat leader Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher stated that the rally aimed to press for the release of party leaders, the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, and measures to curb the rising prices of essential commodities. The main opposition party, BNP, which had distanced itself from Jamaat recently under pressure from its Western allies, has been holding regular protest rallies with similar demands, including the formation of an election-time caretaker government.
Since 1991, power in Bangladesh has alternated between the BNP and the Awami League, with a brief period of military rule between 2006 and 2008. The upcoming general election is expected to shape the country’s political landscape for the foreseeable future.
