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).
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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 government has had mixed receptions. On the one hand, the party is accused of abusing its position to, at best, be blind to the growth of Islamic extremism, and at best, 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 Rajakars, Al-Badr and Peace Committees. The party is accused of actively aiding the Pakistani army throughout the war. It is alleged that its ex-chief Golam Azamand 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. Nizami and Mujahid were the Ministers of Industry and Social-Welfare Ministry respectively in the BNP-Jamaat cabinet. The Jamaat denies these allegations. However they do not deny that they were opposed to the creation of Bangladesh as a nation-state, they argued that they actively camaigned for greater autonomy in East Pakistan.
For this stance, and for allegations of collusion with the Pakistani Army, the Jamaat was initially banned and members were arrested and often killed in revenge attacks. Though the Jamaat members' role was forgiven publicly by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Jamaat's political activities were banned and citizenship of Golam Azam, the leader of Jamaat, was cancelled. Jamaat was allowed to carry out political activities again in 1977 when Ziaur Rahman re-introduced a multiparty system and formed Bangladesh Nationalist Party inside Dhaka Cantonment. He also allowed Golam Azam to return to Bangladesh with a Pakistani passport from England. Golam Azam came back and retook the position as the leader of Jamaat.
After the end of military rule in the 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
