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Business Standard
11 hours ago
- General
- Business Standard
Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh makes political comeback: Decoding its history
Bangladesh's Supreme Court has reinstated the political registration of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir — two organisations long banned for their alleged links to extremism and their open rejection of the country's secular principles. The verdict, which follows an earlier decision by the Muhammad Yunus-led caretaker government to lift the ban, marks Jamaat's return to the political mainstream after over a decade in the shadows. With this legal clearance, the Islamist party is now eligible to contest national elections — a development being watched closely in India's strategic and security circles. A return rooted in history Founded in 1941 by Islamist ideologue Abul Ala Maududi in pre-Partition India, Jamaat-e-Islami entered East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) politics with a mission to create an Islamic state governed by Sharia law. Its role in Bangladesh's Liberation War, however, would etch its name into the nation's darkest chapters. During the 1971 war, Jamaat and its allied militias — most notoriously the Razakars, al-Badr, and al-Shams — collaborated with the Pakistani Army in committing widespread atrocities. These included targeted killings of intellectuals, mass rapes, and the massacre of Hindu minorities. Following Bangladesh's independence, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's government banned Jamaat under Article 38 of the new Constitution for its religious foundations and wartime role. The party's leadership either fled or went underground. However, the ban was lifted after Sheikh Mujib's assassination. In 1977, President Ziaur Rahman's military regime removed secularism from Bangladesh's Constitution and allowed religion-based political parties to function. Jamaat re-emerged and aligned with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), eventually securing ministerial posts in BNP-led governments. Decades later, the War Crimes Tribunal launched in 2009 by the government of Sheikh Hasina - daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman - led to the conviction of top Jamaat leaders. Ghulam Azam, Motiur Rahman Nizami, and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed were convicted for genocide, rape, and crimes against humanity. These convictions triggered mass protests, known as the Shahbagh movement, demanding the party's permanent exclusion from politics. Jamaat was formally deregistered in 2013 and designated a terrorist organisation under the Anti-Terrorism Act on August 1, 2024. The ban, however, was short-lived and was lifted on August 28 the same year by the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. A return fuelled by a political vacuum Jamaat's resurgence is not happening in isolation. It follows months of political turmoil in Bangladesh, sparked by anti-quota protests that quickly evolved into a nationwide anti-government movement in 2024. The unrest left more than 400 people dead and forced Sheikh Hasina into self-imposed exile. Her party, the Awami League, has since been banned. The void has been filled — swiftly and deliberately — by Islamist factions. Jamaat and Islami Chhatra Shibir are believed to have played a pivotal role in mobilising student protests. According to an India Today report, 'Islami Chhatra Shibir cadres were admitted to many universities in Bangladesh from where they instigated students against the government.' With the Awami League out of the frame, the caretaker administration under Muhammad Yunus has moved to mainstream Jamaat — a party it sees as both ideologically aligned and politically useful. Observers say this is less a case of national reconciliation and more an effort to consolidate power in a fragmented landscape. Concerns in India For New Delhi, Jamaat's re-entry into Bangladeshi politics is far from a procedural change in a neighbouring country. It represents a potential strategic reversal. India had long viewed the Hasina-led government as a dependable partner — on issues ranging from counterterrorism and intelligence sharing to border stability and regional trade. Jamaat's ideological leanings, its pro-Pakistan posture, and its history of minority persecution place it at direct odds with India's security interests. The concern is twofold. First, the 4,000-km border between the two countries — particularly in West Bengal and Assam — has a history of porous movement, infiltration, and communal tension. Second, security agencies fear that Jamaat's return could renew radicalisation networks, create safe passage for militants, and embolden attacks on Bangladesh's Hindu community — potentially triggering refugee flows into India. Jamaat's global web Jamaat-e-Islami's influence is not confined to Bangladesh. In Pakistan, it continues to exert influence through its student wing, Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba, and also maintains ideological linkages with groups such as Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. In the West, Jamaat has built soft-power networks through the diaspora. In the UK and US, the group operates through religious and cultural organisations, and has been known to lobby policymakers under the banner of minority rights and democratic inclusion. Washington has often pressured Dhaka to include Jamaat in the democratic process, viewing the ban as undemocratic — a position that sits uncomfortably with India, given the party's history. More recently, Jamaat attracted headlines for proposing an 'independent Rohingya state' during meetings in Dhaka with a Chinese Communist Party delegation. While largely symbolic, the statement adds to the region's growing instability, especially as armed groups like the Arakan Army gain control in Myanmar's border areas. (With agency inputs)
News18
20 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
Bangladesh's On 'Reset': Hasina On Trial, Return Of Jamaat, Bangabandhu's Legacy Erased
Last Updated: The realignment is particularly significant for India as Bangladesh now seems to be going against all the ideas that made it a friendly neighbour Bangladesh is undergoing a dramatic political and geopolitical realignment: ouster, ban and now trial for 'crimes against humanity" for former prime minister Sheikh Hasina; destruction of Bangabandhu's (Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) residence, statues, murals and now erasing his legacy; lifting the ban on the Jamaat-e-Islami and allowing it to register as a political party among other changes. The realignment is particularly significant for India as Bangladesh now seems to be going against all the ideas that made it a friendly neighbour. In less than a year since the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government, the country has seen the unthinkable – Hasina facing trial for alleged mass murder, the Jamaat poised to return to electoral politics, and the conscious removal of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's image from currency notes. On Monday, the office of chief adviser Muhammad Yunus posted a statement on X (formerly Twitter) stating that Bangladesh Bank governor Dr Ahsan H Mansur, accompanied by finance adviser Salehuddin Ahmed, law adviser Asif Nazrul, Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) affairs adviser Supradip Chakma and local government adviser Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan, handed over images of six newly designed banknotes. This was following a meeting of the advisory council at Yunus's office, and the new currencies now represent Bangladesh's heritage replacing Bangabandhu's portraits. Once the architect of Bangladesh's war crimes tribunal, she now finds herself a defendant before the same institution, the convicted 'war criminals' or 'razakars' walked out of prison. The charges against Hasina stem from the deadly crackdown on protesters during the mass uprising last year, which eventually led to her ouster on August 5, 2024. Symbolically and institutionally, it is a turning of the tables – a dismantling of Hasina and her Awami League legacy using the tools she once wielded to consolidate power. JAMAAT-E-ISLAMI The return of Jamaat-e-Islami to the political fold signals the most profound shift in everything Bangladesh ever stood for. The Jamaat-e-Islami, or Jamaat – known as an offshoot of Jamaat-e-Pakistan – is a political party from the erstwhile East Pakistan that opposed the formation of Bangladesh. Once vilified for its role in the 1971 Liberation War and banned from politics, the party is now being rehabilitated into the mainstream. It is a controversial move, deeply polarising in a country where collective memory of 1971 still shapes its political landscape. Yet, the interim government appears unfazed and determined, perhaps, to move Bangladesh toward a new political compact that transcends the long-standing binary of the Awami League and BNP. Nowhere is this transformation more symbolically potent than in the deliberate removal of 'Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's image from currency notes. In a country where his likeness was once sacrosanct, this does not seem like a minor bureaucratic decision. It is an ideological shift – an attempt to reset the nation's foundational narrative. The interim regime is not just managing a transition, it is reimagining and resetting the national memory itself. FACING ELECTION HEAT AT HOME, YUNUS LOOKS ABROAD Yunus, meanwhile, is now positioning himself as Bangladesh's global statesman. His recent visit to Japan, capped by a billion-dollar economic support package, was as much about attracting investment as it was about affirming legitimacy on the world stage. His current meeting with the Chinese minister-led delegation and blueprint of further collaboration added to this new affirmation. He is trying to deploy his international reputation – and Nobel Prize pedigree – to recast Bangladesh not as a crisis-ridden state but as a reformist project under careful stewardship. And yet, for all its velocity, this reset carries risk of a region plunging into instability yet again. The erasure of icons, the deliberate rehabilitation of political pariahs, and the trial of a former PM are not mere procedural acts – they are foundational decisions. The interim government is now scripting a new Bangladesh, but whether that script leads to national healing or renewed polarisation will depend on what comes next – elections, accountability, and a broader societal consensus. At this moment, the country is not just in transition but is actively rewriting the terms of its political identity even as the world is watching. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : 360 degree view bangladesh Muhammad Yunus Sheikh Hasina Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 03, 2025, 07:30 IST News world Bangladesh's On 'Reset': Hasina On Trial, Return Of Jamaat, Bangabandhu's Legacy Erased
India Gazette
a day ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Bangladeshs top court lifts ban on largest Muslim party
The Jamaat-e-Islami party was outlawed by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas government for its role in war crimes against Bangladeshis in 1971 Bangladesh's top court on Sunday reversed a previous ruling that paves the way for Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamist party that was banned by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government, to regain its status as a registered political party. The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court overturned a High Court judgment from 2013 that had declared Jamaat's registration as a political party illegal, local media reported, citing the order. The court also directed the election commission to officially reinstate the registration of Jamaat, thereby enabling it to contest elections, including at the national parliamentary level. Jamaat's registration was revoked through politically motivated public interest litigation, and Sunday's verdict has ensured that a multi-party democratic and participatory parliament is established, lawyers for the party were quoted as saying. The party was an active anti-liberation force during Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War as a result of which the country gained independence from Pakistan. Its registration with the election commission was canceled in 2013, following a lengthy legal process. In August 2024, days before the Awami League government led by Hasina was ousted from power, it banned all activities by Jamaat and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, under anti-terrorism laws. The Hasina government held Jamaat responsible for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 war, as per the verdicts of several cases delivered by the International Crimes Tribunal set up specifically to try those accused of war crimes. Days after taking power following Hasina's ouster, the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, reversed the earlier decision and lifted the ban on the political activities of the party and affiliated organizations. Sunday's ruling by the Supreme Court comes amid ongoing political instability in Bangladesh, which, according to local media, stems from the reluctance of the Yunus administration to announce elections in the country. In a separate development, the same International Crimes Tribunal that earlier convicted Jamaat leaders issued arrest warrants on Sunday for former Prime Minister Hasina and ex-Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, accusing them of crimes against humanity in connection with their alleged involvement in suppressing a major uprising in July 2024. The tribunal's ruling has cleared the way for Hasina to stand trial. Dhaka previously sent a diplomatic note to New Delhi requesting Hasina's return to face trial, to which the Indian government has not formally responded so far. (
India.com
a day ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Bangladesh: বদলের বাংলাদেশে এবার টাকা থেকে মুছল 'মুক্তিযুদ্ধ' তথা বঙ্গবন্ধুর ছবি!
Videos Bangladesh: বদলের বাংলাদেশে এবার টাকা থেকে মুছল 'মুক্তিযুদ্ধ' তথা বঙ্গবন্ধুর ছবি! | Zee 24 Ghanta In a Changing Bangladesh, 'Liberation War' and Bangabandhu's Images Removed from Currency Notes! In a Changing Bangladesh, 'Liberation War' and Bangabandhu's Images Removed from Currency Notes! | Updated: Jun 02, 2025, 10:25 PM IST Advertisement In a Changing Bangladesh, 'Liberation War' and Bangabandhu's Images Removed from Currency Notes!
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First Post
a day ago
- Politics
- First Post
The irony in Hasina's trial at Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal
The irony is that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina now stands accused of crimes against humanity before the very tribunal she created in 2009 to try war criminals of the 1971 Liberation War. Once the architect of justice, she is now branded the 'mastermind' behind mass killings during the 2024 student-led protests. read more In a dramatic twist of history, former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina now stands accused of crimes against humanity before the very tribunal she helped establish more than a decade ago to prosecute war criminals of the 1971 Liberation War. Hasina, who ruled the country for 15 years until her dramatic ouster in August 2024, has been formally charged along with two senior officials for ordering violent crackdowns during last year's student-led uprising that engulfed the nation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The irony is profound. The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), which Hasina launched in 2009 to seek justice for the atrocities committed during the war of independence from Pakistan, is now poised to try her for alleged atrocities against her own people and this time not for wartime collaboration, but for domestic political repression. According to an investigation submitted on May 12, Hasina is described as the 'mastermind, conductor, and superior commander' of the brutal crackdown that swept through the country between July and August 2024. The tribunal's probe alleges that she directed state forces, the ruling Awami League, and allied groups to launch a systematic campaign of terror against student demonstrators. The charges include mass killings, injuries, sexual violence, incineration of bodies and the denial of medical care to the wounded. The United Nations has estimated that as many as 1,400 people were killed in the three-week crackdown, a staggering figure that stunned the international community. Three days after Hasina fell from power, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took charge as interim prime minister. His administration has since outlawed the Awami League and amended national laws to facilitate legal action against former regime figures, including Hasina. Adding another layer to the unfolding saga, Yunus has called for Hasina's trial to be broadcast live, a move critic say is aimed less at justice and more at cementing political legitimacy. His government insists the trial will expose the magnitude of state-sponsored atrocities; however, the Awami League denounces it as a 'mock trial in a kangaroo court,' driven by vendetta and political opportunism. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The tribunal that Hasina once championed was itself controversial, frequently accused of serving political ends, particularly in the execution of top leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and a senior figure from Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Hasina's government had long rebuked the court's ties with Islamist groups. Now, the same court is turning its legal machinery on its founder. While the charges are grave, their political implications are no less weighty. The trial not only seeks to hold Hasina accountable for the alleged atrocities of 2024 but also threatens to reshape Bangladesh's political arena. Whether the court delivers justice or reinforces political theatre, the spectacle of Hasina once prosecutor now defendant highlights a grim paradox in the country's turbulent march toward accountability.
