l Govt enlists these organisations as outlawed entities
l Home Ministry issues a gazette notification
l The gazette notification will be effective immediately
The government in an executive order on Thursday banned Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir and all front organisations for its involvement in recent massacre, destructive and terror activities and enlisted these organisations as forbidden entities.
After getting approval from the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Political Section-2 of Public Security Division under the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a gazette notification in this regard, banning all sorts of political activities of Jamaat and Shibir.
The government has banned the Islamist party, which worked against the country’s independence during the Liberation War in 1971, under Section 18/1 of Anti-terrorism Act 2009. The notification will be effective immediately.
According to the notification, the International Crimes Tribunal in its verdict held Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami (formerly Jamaat-e-Islami/Jamaate Islami Bangladesh) and its front organisation Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir (formerly Islami Chhatra Sangha) responsible for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War in 1971.
The notification also stated that the government has substantial evidence that Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir were directly involved in recent killings, destructive activities, and terrorism. The government believes that Jamaat, Shibir and all their affiliates were involved in these terrorist activities.Therefore, Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir along with all their affiliates have been banned as political parties and organisations under Section 18(1) of ‘Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009’.
Consequently, Jamaat and its affiliated organisations, including Shibir, have been enlisted as forbidden entities in Schedule-II of this Act, according to the notification.
Besides, the Bangladesh Election Commission scrapped the party's registration as a political party following a verdict delivered by the High Court while the Appellate Division upheld the judgment of the High Court.
In an instant reaction, Jamaat Amir Shafiqur Rahman has condemned the decision taken by the government to ban Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir.
Law Minister Anisul Huq on Wednesday said from now on, these organisations would not be able to run politics under these names.
The Awami League government has been accusing Jamaat and Chhatra Shibir of infiltrating militants into the quota reform movement. As a result, the movement turned violent, leaving many dead and key structures damaged.
The AL-led 14-party alliance unanimously recommended banning Jamaat-Shibir during a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban.
This is the second ban on the party that opposed the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971 and its members collaborated with the Pakistan occupation forces during the war.
After Bangladesh’s independence, the government applied Article 38 of the 1972 Constitution to ban Jamaat on grounds of the party’s misuse of religion for political purposes.
Since the central theme of Jamaat-e-Islami's politics was religion, the party's organisational existence effectively disappeared in independent Bangladesh.
However, the scenario began to change after assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975.
On May 3 in 1976, President ASM Sayem promulgated an ordinance that repealed the Article 38 of the Constitution, lifting the ban on religion-based politics.
Jamaat-e-Islami did not immediately re-emerge in the name of Jamaat-e-Islami. Instead, they opted for a different political party.
On August 24, 1976, Jamaat-e-Islami and several other religion-based parties formed a political platform named Islamic Democratic League (IDL). Members of Jamaat-e-Islami joined this party and entered politics.
Under the banner of the Islamic Democratic League, several leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami participated in the 1979 elections and won six seats.
Through this election, Jamaat-e-Islami leaders entered the parliament of independent Bangladesh for the first time.
A convention of the party was held at the courtyard of Eden Hotel in Dhaka from May 25 to May 27 in 1979 where a new constitution was approved.
Based on it, on May 27 in 1979, Jamaat-e-Islami began its activities in Bangladesh with a four-point demand.
Since then, Jamaat-e-Islami has held meetings and gatherings in various places across the country, including Dhaka.
After the fall of General Ershad, Jamaat-e-Islami won 18 seats in the parliamentary election held in 1991.
The then BNP formed a government with the support of Jamaat-e-Islami. Without the support of Jamaat-e-Islami, it would not have been possible for the BNP to form a government.
Since then, Jamaat-e-Islami became significant player in Bangladesh’s politics.
Jamaat after 2008
In the general election held at the end of 2008, the Awami League won an absolute majority.
Then, according to the election promise, the trial of those accused of crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971 began.
Many top leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, including Ghulam Azam, were convicted in the trial. Ghulam Azam was sentenced to 90 years in prison. Later, he died in jail.
Motiur Rahman Nizami and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, among others, were sentenced to death.
Jamaat started its journey on Aug 26, 1941 under the leadership of Syed Abul Ala Moududi with the name of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.
Jamaat was first banned in Pakistan in 1959 for instigating communal violence. Jamaat`s activities were banned again on January 4, 1964 for opposing the Muslim Family Act formulated by Ayub Khan in 1962. Party chief Moududi along with 60 others were arrested.
Of the 60 people, 13 Jamaat leaders were from East Pakistan and Ghulam Azam was one of them.
