# Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami (Bengali: বাংলাদেশ জামায়াতে ইসলামী, lit. 'Bangladesh Islamic Congress') is an Islamist political party in Bangladesh. It is currently the largest Islamist political party in Bangladesh.
The origin of the party can be traced back to the original faction founded by Sayyid Abul A'la Maududi in 1941. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami's predecessor, the Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan opposed the independence of Bangladesh and the dismemberment of Pakistan.
Upon the formation of Bangladesh in 1971, the new regime banned Jamaat-e-Islami, along with all other religion-based parties. Following the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, the ban on Jamaat and religion-based parties was lifted in 1976 under the Sayem government and Jamaat fully received its rights to participate in politics in 1979 by the Government of Ziaur Rahman and the new party, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh was formed. Exiled leaders were allowed to return. Abbas Ali Khan was the then acting Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh. In the 1980s, the Jamaat joined the multi-party alliance for the restoration of democracy against military rule under Hussain Muhammad Ershad. It later allied with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the 4 Party-Alliance and Jamaat leaders became ministers in two governments of then prime minister Khaleda Zia (from 1991 to 1996 and from 2001 to 2006). Awami League also got involved with Jamaat to come to power in 1996. In 2008, it won two of 300 elected seats in Parliament. In 2010, the government led by the Awami League, began prosecution of war crimes committed during the 1971 war under the International Crimes Tribunal. By 2012, two leaders of the BNP, one leader from Jatiya Party and eight from Jamaat were charged with war crimes and by March 2013, three Jamaat leaders were convicted of crimes. On 1 August 2013, the Bangladesh Supreme Court cancelled the registration of the Jamaat-e-Islami, ruling that the party is unfit to contest national elections. and they are the second organization to face international trial after Adolf Hitler's then Nazi Party. With the surge of July Revolution, the Sheikh Hasina regime banned the party fully on 1 August 2024 to suppress opposition. However, after the fall of Sheikh Hasina, The decision was reversed on 28 August by the Yunus interim government.

## History
### In British India (1941–1947)

The Jamaat-e-Islami was founded in pre-partition British India by Syed Abul A'la Maududi at Islamia Park, Lahore on August 26, 1941 as a movement to promote social and political Islam. Jamaat opposed the creation of a separate state of Pakistan for the Muslims of India. It also did not support the Muslim League, then the largest Muslim party in the election of 1946. nor did it support the "Composite Nationalism" (Muttahida Qaumiyat Aur Islam) of the Jamiat Ulama e-Hind. Maulana Abul Ala Maududi, the founder of Jamaat-e-Islami, actively worked to prevent the partition of India, arguing that concept violated the Islamic doctrine of the ummah. Maulana Maududi saw the partition as creating a temporal border that would divide Muslims from one another. He advocated for the whole of India to be reclaimed for Islam.

### In Pakistan (1947-1971)

After the creation of Pakistan, Jamaat-e-Islami divided into separate Indian and Pakistani national organizations. When East Pakistan became independent as Bangladesh, the East Pakistan wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan became Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh.
Jamaat-e-Islami participated in the democratic movement in Pakistan during the Period of Martial Law declared by Ayub Khan. An all-party democratic alliance (DAC) was formed in 1965. Jamaat head of East Pakistan branch, Ghulam Azam was a member of the alliance, which also included Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
As an Islamist party, JI strongly supported Islamic unity.

### In Bangladesh (1971–present)

Jamaat was banned after the independence of Bangladesh in December 1971, and its top leaders fled to West Pakistan. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first president of Bangladesh, also cancelled the citizenship of Ghulam Azam, the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami who moved to Pakistan, the Middle East and the UK. Azam first fled to Pakistan and organized an "East Pakistan Recovery Week". As information about his participation in the killing of civilians came to light "a strong groundswell of resentment against" East Pakistan JI leadership developed and Azam and Maulana Abdur Rahim were sent to Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, Azam and some of his followers successfully appealed for donations to "defend Islam" in Bangladesh, asserting that the Hindu minority there were "killing Muslims and burning their homes."
then President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated in August 1975 by a group of officers of Bangladesh Army. post-Mujibur governments were immediately recognized by both Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and Jamaat-e-Islami once again resumed political activities in Bangladesh. Ziaur Rahman also allowed Azam to return to Bangladesh as the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami.
After the end of Ershad's regime in 1990, mass protests began against Azam and Jamaat-e-Islami, who were accused by the protesters of committing war crimes. The protests were headed by Jahanara Imam, an author who lost her elder son, Shafi Imam Rumi, in the 1971 war of independence. Azam's citizenship was challenged in a case that went to the Bangladesh Supreme Court, as he only held a Pakistani passport. Absent prosecution of Azam for war crimes, the Supreme Court ruled that he had to be allowed a Bangladeshi passport and the freedom to resume his political activities.
Bangladesh Police arrested Jamaat-e-Islami chief and former Industry Minister Motiur Rahman Nizami from his residence in the capital in a graft case on 19 May 2008 and was charged with war crimes in 2009. He was hanged to death on 11 May 2016. Earlier, two former Cabinet Ministers of the immediate past BNP-Jamaat led coalition government, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and Shamsul Islam were sent to Dhaka Central Jail, after they surrendered before the court. As a result, in the parliamentary elections of December 2008, Jamaat-e-Islami garnered fewer than 5 seats out of the total 300 that constitute the national parliament. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party was concerned, as Jamaat-e-Islami had been their primary political partner in the Four-Party Alliance.
On 27 January 2009, the Bangladesh Supreme Court issued a ruling after 25 people from different Islamic organizations, including Bangladesh Tariqat Federation's Secretary General Syed Rezaul Haque Chandpuri, Jaker Party's Secretary General Munshi Abdul Latif and Sammilita Islami Jote's President Maulana Ziaul Hasan, filed a joint petition. Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mujaheed and the Election Commission Secretary were given six weeks time to reply, but they did not. The ruling asked to explain as to "why the Jamaat's registration should not be declared illegal". As a verdict of the ruling, High Court cancelled the registration of the Jamaat-e-Islami on 1 August 2013, ruling that the party is unfit to contest national polls because its charter puts God above democratic process.
On 5 August 2013, the Supreme Court rejected Jamaat's plea against the High Court. The chamber judge of the Appellate Division Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik while rejecting the Jamaat's petition seeking stay on the High Court verdict, said that the Jamaat could move a regular appeal before the Appellate Division against the verdict after getting its full text.
In February 2013, following the verdict by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), and the announcement of death sentence of Delwar Hossain Sayidee (a leader of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, during the Bangladesh independence war of 1971), supporters of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir were involved in violence and police killed 44 protesters and wounded 250. More than 50 temples were damaged, and more than 1,500 houses and business establishments of Hindus were torched in Gaibandha, Chittagong, Rangpur, Sylhet, Chapainawabganj, Bogra and in many other districts of the country by Jamaat, By March 2013, at least 87 people were killed by the government's law enforcement agencies. Jamaat-e-Islami supporters called for the fall of the regime.
As a result of involvement of Jamaat-e-Islami and Shibir's support for student protestors in the Bangladesh quota protests, Hasina's regime decided to fully ban the party on 1 August 2024. However, it was reversed on 28 August 2024 and the ban on Jamaat-Shibir was officially lifted.

## Ideology

Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and publications claim the party to be Islamic democrat and welfarist. However, third-party and neutral sources identified the party's ideology to be Islamism. According to a JI publication titled An Introduction to Bangladesh Jamaate Islami, the party aims to turn Bangladesh into an "Islamic welfare state". It's incumbent leader, Shafiqur Rahman, described his party to be a "modern, liberal democratic party, whose ideal is Islam". It's incumbent deputy leader, Mia Golam Parwar, outlined his party's goal to be the establishment of an Islamic government system. an Indian nobel laureate, Amartya Sen criticized Jamaat-e-Islami for being communal. Jamaat-e-Islami later condemned Amartya Sen's statement and criticized him and accused him of hypocrisy.

## Controversies
### Accusations of war crimes

Many of Jamaat's leaders were accused of committing war crimes and genocide during the independence war of Bangladesh in 1971 and several had been convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal.

### International Crimes Tribunal

By November 2011, the International Crimes Tribunal had charged two BNP leaders and ten Jamaat leaders with war crimes committed during the Bangladesh War of Independence and 1971 Bangladesh genocide.
Abul Kalam Azad, a nationally known Islamic cleric and a former member of Jamaat, was charged with genocide, rape, abduction, confinement and torture. He was tried in absentia after having fled the country; police believe he is in Pakistan. In January 2013, Azad was the first suspect to be convicted in the trials; he was found guilty of seven of eight charges and sentenced to death by hanging. Azad's defence lawyer, a prominent Supreme Court lawyer appointed by the state, did not have any witnesses in the case; he said Azad's family failed to cooperate in helping locate witnesses and refused to testify as there was no chance of a fair trial.
The summary of verdict in the conviction of Abdul Quader Mollah recognized the role played by Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing ('Islami Chatra Sangha') as collaborators with the Pakistan Army in 1971. The party was found guilty of forming paramilitary forces, such as Razakar and Al-Badr. It was said to have taken part in the systematic genocide of the Bangladeshi people and other violent activities.
As a result of the trials, the activists of the 2013 Shahbag Protest have demanded that the government ban Jamaat from Bangladeshi politics. In response, the government started drafting a bill to ban Jamaat-e-Islami from Bangladeshi politics.
On 28 February 2013, Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, the deputy Amir of Jamaat, was found guilty of genocide, rape and religious persecution. He was sentenced to death by hanging. His defence lawyer had earlier complained that a witness who was supposed to testify for him was abducted from the gates of the courthouse on 5 November 2012, reportedly by police, and has not been heard from since. The government did not seem to take the issue seriously after the prosecution denied there was a problem. It is presumed that the security forces killed the witness as the entire judicial process was to vanish the opposition.
Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, senior assistant secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami was indicted on 7 June 2012 on 7 counts of crimes against humanity. On 9 May 2013, he was convicted and given the death penalty on five counts of mass killings, rape, torture and kidnapping.
Ghulam Azam, ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh until 2000 was found guilty by the ICT on five counts. Incitement, conspiracy, planning, abatement and failure to prevent murder. He was sentenced on 15 July 2013 to 90 years imprisonment.
Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami was sentenced to death by hanging on 22 November 2015.
Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin, who fled to the UK after the independence of Bangladesh and a leader of the London-based Jamaat organization Dawatul Islam, was indicted for crimes against humanity and genocide and being a leader of the Al-Badr militia. He is also accused of the murder of East Pakistan's top intellectuals during the war, although he has denied all charges. These activities of then ruling government, Awami League, were widely criticized in the international community.

## Student wings
### Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir

Bangladesh Islami Chhatrashibir functions as the de facto student wing of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, with numerous former leaders advancing to hold prominent leadership roles within the party. The organization has significant presence at many colleges and universities of Bangladesh, including the Chittagong College, Government Bangla College, Dhaka College, Government Titumir College, University of Chittagong, University of Dhaka, Rajshahi University, Islamic University, Begum Rokeya University, Carmichael College etc. It is also influential in the Madrasah system. It's the successor of East Pakistan Islami Chatra Sangha, the East Pakistan wing of Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba. It is a member of the International Islamic Federation of Student Organizations and the World Assembly of Muslim Youth.

### Bangladesh Islami Chhatri Sangstha

Bangladesh Islami Chhatri Sangstha functions as the female student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, being established in 15 July 1978.

## Election results

| Election year | Party leader | Votes | % of Percentage | Seats | +/– | Position | Government |
| 1986 | Ghulam Azam | 1,314,057 | 4.60% | 10 / 300 | 10 | 3rd | Opposition |
| 1988 | Ghulam Azam | Boycotted | Boycotted | 0 / 300 | 10 | — | Extra-parliamentary |
| 1991 | Ghulam Azam | 4,117,737 | 12.2% | 18 / 300 | 18 | 3rd | Opposition |
| February 1996 | Ghulam Azam | Boycotted | Boycotted | 0 / 300 | 18 | — | Extra-parliamentary |
| June 1996 | Ghulam Azam | 3,653,013 | 8.6 | 3 / 300 | 3 | 4th | Opposition |
| 2001 | Motiur Rahman Nizami | 2,385,361 | 4.28 | 17 / 300 | 14 | 4th | Coalition government |
| 2008 | Motiur Rahman Nizami | 3,186,384 | 4.6% | 2 / 300 | 15 | 4th | Opposition |
| 2014 | Motiur Rahman Nizami | Did not contest | Did not contest | 0 / 300 | 2 | — | Extra-parliamentary |
| 2018 | Maqbul Ahmed | Did not contest | Did not contest | 0 / 300 | 0 | — | Extra-parliamentary |
| 2024 | Shafiqur Rahman | Did not contest | Did not contest | 0 / 300 | 0 | — | Extra-parliamentary |
The Jamaat in parliamentary elections :
| Year | Results |
| 1973 | Party banned because it was an Islamist party and so was a threat to Secularism |
| 1979 | Party legalized under the name "Islamic Democratic League" Together with larger Muslim League won 20 seats. |
| 1986 | 10 seats. |
| 1991 | 18 seats. |
| 1996 | 3 seats. |
| 2001 | 17 seats. (took part by forming alliance with 3 other parties.) |
| 2008 | 2 seats.(took part by forming alliance with 3 other parties.) |
| 2013 | The Bangladesh Supreme Court declared the registration of the Jamaat-e-Islami illegal, ruling that the party is unfit to contest national polls. |

### 1991 Election

| # | Constituency | Member | Vote Percentages |
| 1 | Dinajpur-6 | Azizur Rahman Chowdhury | 28.7% |
| 2 | Bogra-2 | Shahaduzzaman | 34.0% |
| 3 | Chapai Nawabganj-3 | Latifur Rahman | 35.3% |
| 4 | Naogaon-4 | Nasir Uddin | 49.8% |
| 5 | Natore-3 | Md. Abu Bakar | 36.0% |
| 6 | Pabna-1 | Motiur Rahman Nizami | 36.9% |
| 7 | Pabna-5 | Abdus Sobhan | 47.3% |
| 8 | Chuadanga-2 | Habibur Rahman | 36.6% |
| 9 | Jessore-6 | Md. Shakhawat Hossain | 47.3% |
| 10 | Bagerhat-4 | Abdus Sattar Akon | 42.9% |
| 11 | Khulna-6 | Shah Md. Ruhul Quddus | 40.5% |
| 12 | Satkhira-1 | Ansar Ali | 39.5% |
| 13 | Satkhira-2 | Kazi Shamsur Rahman | 38.6% |
| 14 | Satkhira-3 | AM Riasat Ali Biswas | 33.1% |
| 15 | Satkhira-5 | Gazi Nazrul Islam | |
| 16 | Rajbari-2 | AKM Aszad | |
| 17 | Chittagong-14 | Shajahan Chowdhury | 46.2% |
| 18 | Cox's Bazar-1 | Enamul Haq Manju | 35.0% |

### June 1996 Election

| # | Constituency | Member | Vote Percentages |
| 1 | Nilphamari-3 | Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury | 31.3% |
| 2 | Satkhira-2 | Kazi Shamsur Rahman | 31.9% |
| 3 | Pirojpur-1 | Delwar Hossain Sayeedi | 37.0% |

### 2001 Election

| # | Constituency | Member | Vote Percentages |
| 1 | Dinajpur-1 | Abdullah Al Kafi | 44.9% |
| 2 | Dinajpur-6 | Azizur Rahman Chowdhury | 39.8% |
| 3 | Nilphamari-3 | Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury | 38.0% |
| 4 | Gaibandha-1 | Abdul Aziz Mia | 40.9% |
| 5 | Pabna-1 | Motiur Rahman Nizami | 57.7% |
| 6 | Pabna-5 | Abdus Sobhan | 56.8% |
| 7 | Jessore-2 | Abu Sayeed Md. Shahadat Hussain | 52.3% |
| 8 | Narail-2 | Shahidul Islam | 48.2% (96.6% by election) |
| 9 | Bagerhat-4 | Abdus Sattar Akon | 48.1% |
| 10 | Khulna-5 | Mia Golam Porwar | 49.6% |
| 11 | Khulna-6 | Shah Md. Ruhul Quddus | 56.9% |
| 12 | Satkhira-2 | Abdul Khaleque Mondal | 60.0% |
| 13 | Satkhira-3 | AM Riasat Ali Biswas | 55.0% |
| 14 | Satkhira-5 | Gazi Nazrul Islam | 54.9% |
| 15 | Pirojpur-1 | Delwar Hossain Sayeedi | 57.2% |
| 16 | Sylhet-5 | Farid Uddin Chowdhury | 49.1% |
| 17 | Comilla-12 | Dr. Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher | 66.0% |

### 2008 Election

| # | Constituency | Member | Vote Percentages |
| 1 | Chittagong-14 | Shamsul Islam | 51.1% |
| 2 | Cox's Bazar-2 | A. H. M. Hamidur Rahman Azad | 53.9% |