Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh
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Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh (often referred to as just 'Jamaat') is the largest and most influential Islamist political party in Bangladesh. In the last general election (2001) it secured 18 seats (among 300 seats) in the parliament and awarded 2 ministries for its role in the formation of the four-party alliance that gained a landslide victory in the 2001 Parliamentary Election. In the parliament of 2001 - 2006, the BNP-Jamaat alliance enjoyed a two-third majority in the Parliament.
Jamaat is an ideological party that advocates for greater role of Islam in public life. According to the party, the main objective of Jamaat is the establishment of Deen or Islamic social order through ethical, peaceful, constructive, democratic, and constitutional means. Jamaat claims that it lives up to its standards since its inception in 1941 as Jamaat-e-Islami (in pre-Partition India). One of the reason why Jamaat-e-Islam is gaining popularity is because they have successfully based their campaign on a platform of anti-corruption (a technique that is commonly implemented by Islamist political groups in many developing countries with unstable regimes) and are thus seen as the "least corrupt party" by the Bangladeshi public. Transparency International ranks Bangladesh as having one of the most corrupt governments in the world, and the voting public in Bangladesh blame the mainstream nationalist government for the corruption. They see the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami as a viable solution to this contentious issue.[1][2] .
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[edit] The Jamaat in Government
In the last Parliament (2001-2006), the Jamaat formed an alliance with the ruling Bangladesh National Party. For its efforts, the party was awarded two cabinet positions held by the leader of the party Matiur Rahman Nizami and Secretary-General Ali Ahsan Mujahid. Its performance in the government has earned nation wide a grater admiration, be complicit. Naturally, the party pleads its innocence. On the other hand, the party has been credited for clean, and transparent politics. Its stance in Government, and its pragmatic approach to the application of Islam in public life has led one observer to describe the party as an 'Islamic Opus Dei' (see International Crisis Group Report on Bangladesh page 15).
[edit] History of the party
The Jamaat-e-Islami was founded in pre-partition India by Syed Ab'ul Ala Maududi in 1941. Maulana Maududi moved to Pakistan from India after independence and the current party in Bangladesh originated out of the East Pakistan wing of the party. However, Jamaat had opposed the creation of a separate state for the Muslims of India. While persisting in his Anti-Pakistan Ideology Maududi writes in one of his books, "If we have ever uttered a single word in the favor of creation of Pakistan, it must be proved with references." That is why Jamat-e-Islami also did not support the Muslim League, the largest Muslim party, in core election of 1946.
After the creation of Pakistan, Jamaat-e-Islami was divided into separate Indian and Pakistani organisations. The Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh originates from Jamaat wing in the then East Pakistan.
Critics of Jamaat often accuse the core of the Jamaat leaders opposed the independence of Bangladesh during the liberation war in 1971. They formed paramilitary structures like Razakar, Al-Badr and Peace Committees. Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan actively aided the Pakistani army throughout the war. Its ex-chief, Golam Azam, and most of its top leaders such as Matiur Rahman Nizami, Ali Ahsan Mujahid,Muhammaad Kamaruzzaman, Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, helped the Pakistani army in the the war against India in 1971.[3][4]
For this stance, and for allegations of siding with the Pakistani Army, Jamaat was initially banned and members were arrested. Though the Jamaat members' role was forgiven publicly by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Jamaat's political activities were banned and the citizenship of Golam Azam, the leader of Jamaat, was cancelled. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman formed the BAKSAL,which was a single party government. Jamaat was allowed to carry out political activities again in 1977 when Ziaur Rahman re-introduced a multiparty system and formed Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He also allowed Golam Azam to return to Bangladesh from England. Golam Azam came back and retook the position as the leader of Jamaat.
After the end of military rule in 1990, protests began against Golam Azam and Jamaat, by groups who saw him as an Islamic fundamentalist. As a result of these protests, his citizenship was challenged by the state. But the Supreme Court of Bangladesh gave Azam Bangladeshi citizenship as the panel of Judges agreed that he was a Bangladeshi by birth.
[edit] See also
- Jamaat-e-Islami
- Islami Chhatra Shibir
- List of political parties in Bangladesh
- 1971 East Pakistan Intellectuals massacre
- Golam Azam
- Delwar Hossain Sayidee
[edit] External links
- Jamaat's official web site
- Jamaat-e-Islami's Manifestos
- Matiur Rahman Nizami at Chatham House explaining his party's philosophy
- Article in The Nation on Jamaat-e-Islami's influence on Bangladesh, The "Talibanization" of Bangladesh
- An anti-fundamentalist Islamic site of Bangladesh
- Jamat-e-Islam
