The interim government of Bangladesh on Wednesday decided to lift the ban on the country’s largest Islamic party Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir. Earlier, Sheikh Hasina’s government had banned this pro-Pakistani organization. The Home Ministry has issued a gazette notification announcing the lifting of the ban on the party and all its organizations with immediate effect. The notification said that no concrete evidence has been found of Jamaat-e-Islami and its organizations being involved in acts of terrorism and violence in Bangladesh. It further said that the interim government believes that Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its organizations are not involved in any terrorist activity.
Earlier, four days before former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stepped down and took refuge in India, her government had banned the party and its affiliated organizations through an order issued on August 1. At that time, Hasina’s government had accused Jamaat-e-Islami of being involved in violent protests across the country. In July, students had started protests to oppose the controversial quota in government jobs. Although the quota was canceled by the court, the protests turned violent and Hasina had to step down from the post.
Jamaat-e-Islami claims – not anti-India
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman said his party wants good relations with India but India needs to rethink its foreign policy towards the neighbourhood. Rahman also said Jamaat supports close India-Bangladesh ties but also wants Bangladesh to have strong and balanced relations with Pakistan, China and the US. Rahman claimed that India’s perception of Jamaat as an anti-India party is wrong and said the party is not against any country. “We are pro-Bangladesh and are fully interested in protecting the interests of Bangladesh,” he said.
Not in favor of banning any political party- BNP
Reacting to the lifting of the ban on Wednesday, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, “We are not in favour of banning any political party. The constitution allows people to support any party,” he told reporters.
Hasina’s government had hanged many party leaders
The party was earlier known as Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh. It was formed in India before Partition under the leadership of Syed Abul Ala Maududi. It has been banned four times since its formation in 1941. Jamaat-e-Islami was a key ally of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) whose members held ministerial positions in coalition governments during 2001-2005. Hasina’s government had accused several Jamaat leaders of crimes during Bangladesh’s war of independence in 1971. Five Jamaat leaders, including party chief Motiur Rahman Nizami, were convicted and hanged between 2013 and 2016.