The origin of Jamaat-e-Islami as a political party
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Photo: Collected
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, including all its affiliates, have been banned by the government under the Anti-Terrorism Act for alleged involvement in terrorist activities.
On Thursday (01 August) the government issued a notification banning Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. Although this is not the first such incident, the party was banned for the first time in 1972 after the independence of the country. The decision was taken on allegations of 'abuse of religion for political purposes'.
Jamaat-e-Islami is a much discussed and criticized party in the politics of Bangladesh. Although it is a rare case that a political party opposes the independence of the country and later survives in that country's politics, it is somewhat an exception for this party.
Although this party took an open stand against the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, it did not take long for them to establish themselves in the politics of independent Bangladesh.
However, this group was founded during the British rule.
This report highlights the history of Jamaat-e-Islami.
British India (1941-1947)
Syed Abul A'la Maududi founded the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind on 26th August 1941 at Islamia Park in Lahore as part of the socio-political Islamic movement. The Jamaat opposed the creation of Pakistan as a separate state for the Muslims of India. The Jamaat did not support the Muslim League, the largest party in the 1946 elections.
Maududi moved from India to Pakistan after independence and India-Pakistan partition. The current Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami was originally formed out of the former Jatiya Party of East Pakistan.
Pakistan Period (1948-1971)
After the creation of Pakistan, Jamaat-e-Islami basically split into India and Pakistan. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami was formed from a branch of the then East Pakistan Jamaat. Jamaat-e-Islami was banned on 4th January 1964 due to its opposition to Ayub Khan's 1962 Muslim Family Law Ordinance. 60 Jamaat leaders including Maududi were arrested. Among them were 13 Jamaat leaders from East Pakistan. Professor Ghulam Azam is one of them. The ban was lifted again in October that year.
During the Ayub regime Jamaat-e-Islami participated in the democratic movement in Pakistan after the declaration of martial law and formed the All Party Democratic Alliance in 1965.
Later, they strongly opposed the six points given by Awami League and the 11 points announced by Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani. In the 1970 elections, Jamaat-e-Islami won 4 seats in West Pakistan.
Liberation War of Bangladesh (1971)
In 1971, Jamaat-e-Islami strongly opposed the liberation war of Bangladesh. As a result, after the independence of Bangladesh, the abuse of religion for political purposes was prohibited according to Article 38 of the 1972 Constitution. But the scenario started to change after Mujib's assassination.
On May 3, 1976, President ASM Sayem issued an ordinance. Through this, Article 38 of the Constitution of Bangladesh was repealed and the ban on religion-based politics was lifted.
Bangladesh Chapter (1971-present)
After 1971 when religion based politics was banned Jamaat also came under it. In August 1976, the Ziaur Rahman government announced the Political Parties Ordinance, opening politics to all types of political parties. At that time Jamaat-e-Islami was associated with a party called Islamic Democratic Party. Later, when Ghulam Azam returned to Bangladesh, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh was formed in May 1979. At that time, Abbas Ali Khan got the post of acting Amir. In the 1991 national elections, it won 18 out of 300 seats. Later, it played a role in the formation of the government as one of the partners of the four-party coalition led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. After that it won 2 seats out of 300 in the 1996 national elections.
Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh in the National Parliament:
In the general elections held in 1979, some leaders of Jamaat contested the elections on the nomination of Islamic Democratic League and 6 candidates won. When the ban on religious political parties was lifted in 1979, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh re-emerged in the political scene and Maulana Abbas Ali Khan was elected as the acting Amir of the party.
Jamaat-e-Islami has continued its activities in Bangladesh since 1979. Jamaat-e-Islami won 10 seats in the 1986 parliamentary elections. 10 MPs of Jamaat resigned from Parliament on 3rd December 1987 as a movement against General Hussain Muhammad Ershad's dictatorship.
In the 1991 parliamentary elections, Jamaat-e-Islami nominated candidates contested 35 seats and won 18 seats, and the majority party in parliament supported the Bangladesh Nationalist Party to form the government. Out of 30 seats reserved for women, Jamaat won 2 seats.
In 1996, Bangladesh became self-interested by simultaneously agitating with the Awami League on the demand of the caretaker government. and won three parliamentary seats by election. They were in fourth position in this election.
In the Eighth Parliamentary Elections of 2001, Jamaat won 17 parliamentary seats by participating in the BNP-led four-party alliance, and two members of the Council of Ministers were fortunate enough to become ministers.
Khaleda Zia won the Ninth National Assembly elections held in 2008. Jamaat-e-Islami participated in the four-party coalition and won two seats. In this election, according to the votes, they were in fourth position and according to the seats, they were in the fifth position.
Registration cancelled:
The High Court issued a ruling on 27 January 2009 when 25 members of several Islamic organizations challenged the validity of the Jamaat's registration. The court bench asked Jamaat Ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mujahid and Bangladesh Election Commission Secretary to respond to the ruling within 6 weeks. Later, on 1 August 2013, the Bangladesh Supreme Court ruled that the organization's registration was invalid and the organization was declared ineligible to participate in the elections.
