Photo: Collected
The government banned Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its student organization Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir in an executive order. The announcement was made in gazette form after a notification was issued by the Home Ministry's Public Security Department on Thursday (Aug 1) banning the party, which opposed independence.
According to the gazette, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its affiliated organization Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir have been held responsible for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War in the verdict of several cases given by the International Criminal Tribunal.
Besides, the Bangladesh Election Commission has canceled the registration of the party as a political party of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami in the judgment of a writ petition of the High Court Division. The Appellate Division has upheld the judgment of the High Court Division, as mentioned in the Gazette.
It further stated that the government has ample evidence that Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its affiliate Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir were directly and indirectly involved in the recent killings, destructive activities and terrorist activities. The government believes that all its affiliates, including Jamaat and Shibir, are involved in terrorist activities.
Therefore, under the powers given in Section 18(1) of the 'Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009', Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir including all its affiliates were declared banned as political parties and organizations. Schedule-II of this Act lists Jamaat and all its affiliated organizations as prohibited entities.
However, Shafiqur Rahman, the Ameer of the party strongly condemned and protested the banning of Jamaat politics saying that the government wants to divert the ongoing movement to a different sector by banning 'Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami' and 'Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir' in an executive order for their misdeeds.
In a statement sent to the media on Thursday afternoon, he said that the government has banned Jamaat and Shibir in violation of the constitution.
“The main work of Jamaat-e-Islami - calling to Islam, reforming people's character and establishing the noble ideals of Islam will never stop even if it is banned. I call upon the people of Jamaat-e-Islami at all levels to deal with the situation with patience and tolerance.”
In the statement, he further said that the government is carrying out mass killings by party cadres and state law and order forces in the country to suppress the non-political movement of students. The country's teaching society, cultural personalities, journalists and people of various professions are unitedly protesting against this genocide of the government. The world community condemned the massacre. In an attempt to divert the ongoing movement to different sectors and to cover up their misdeeds, the government has banned Jamaat and Shibir by executive order.
He said that the government has been oppressing the Jamaat for the past 16 years. Jamaat faced all situations with patience.
“The government has violated the constitution by banning 'Jamaate-e-Islami' and 'Islami Chhatra Shibir'. We strongly condemn and protest this unconstitutional, undemocratic and unjust decision of the government.”
Meanwhile, the government is preparing to deal with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the party's student organization Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, said Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq. The minister said this in response to a question while talking to reporters at the secretariat on Thursday (August 1).
If banned, Jamaat-Shibir will go underground or not - the minister said, “It can go underground. Many parties went underground, you know what happened to them. But we are prepared to deal with it.”
On the other hand, after issuing a notification banning Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, the security in Dhaka has been ramped up. Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) is ready to deal with any kind of terrorism-sabotage. DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman gave this information on Thursday afternoon. He said, police security has been strengthened in various important establishments of Dhaka.
It should be noted that Jamaat took a position against the independence of Bangladesh in the 1971 war of liberation. Several former top leaders of the party have been convicted in the case of the International Criminal Tribunal for war crimes in the Liberation War. The death sentence of five leaders such as Matiur Rahman Nizami, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, Abdul Quader Mollah and Mohammad Kamaruzzaman was executed after trial by a special tribunal.
Jamaat's Amir Professor Ghulam Azam's case verdict termed Jamaat as a 'criminal organisation'. According to the International Criminal Tribunal, Jamaat is a criminal organization. In 1971, their role was against the interests of the country.
Jamaat was banned in Bangladesh from 1972 to 1977. After various political changes, the party became active again in the country's politics. In 1986 Jamaat took part in the election for the first time in Bangladesh. When the BNP-led four-party coalition government was formed in 2001, some Jamaat leaders were included in the cabinet, which drew widespread criticism.
Jamaat-e-Islami was registered as a political party in 2008. After that, 25 persons including the then General Secretary of Tariqat Federation Syed Rezaul Haque Chandpuri filed a writ petition in 2009 challenging the validity of the party's registration. On August 1, 2013, the High Court declared the registration of Jamaat illegal. This judgment is upheld in the Appellate Division. Then on December 8, 2018, the Election Commission issued a notification canceling the party's registration.
Messenger/Fameema
