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Jamaat-e-Islami Advocates for New Governance Model, Proportional Representation
thousands of supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami gathered for a rally in Dhaka, advocating for important political reforms.The party is calling for the proclamation and implementation of a charter that addresses the mass uprising from the previous year. Additionally, Jamaat-e-Islami has expressed its desire for the introduction of a proportional representation system in future elections.
The rally saw supporters spending the night on the Dhaka University campus before converging on Suhrawardy Udyan on Saturday morning. Despite the heat, they continued to arrive at the historical site, which commemorates the surrender of the Pakistani army to a joint Indian and Bangladeshi force on December 16, 1971, marking the end of the nine-month war.
One attendee, 40-year-old Iqbal Hossain, articulated his vision for a new Bangladesh, stating, “We are here for a new Bangladesh, where Islam would be the guiding principle of governance, where good and honest people will rule the country, and there will be no corruption.” He added, “We will sacrifice our lives, if necessary, for this cause.”
Demonstrators were seen wearing T-shirts with the party’s logo, headbands bearing its name, and metallic badges shaped like a scale, the party’s electoral symbol. Many young supporters, in their 20s and 30s, were also present.
Mohidul Morsalin Sayem, a 20-year-old student, expressed his belief that under Jamaat-e-Islami, the country would be free from discrimination and all citizens would have their rights, attributing this to their adherence to the Quran.He also suggested that a united front of Islamist parties could secure political dominance.
The party’s chief, Shafiqur Rahman, characterized the country’s struggle in 2024 as an effort to eliminate “fascism,” and indicated that a future fight against corruption and extortion would also be undertaken.He stated, “How will the future Bangladesh look like? There will be another fight … We will do whatever is necessary and win that fight.”
Jamaat-e-Islami, which supported Pakistan during the 1971 war of independence, was initially banned after Bangladesh’s independence. The party later re-emerged and achieved its most significant electoral success in 1991, winning 18 seats.It also participated in a coalition government in 2001 but struggled to maintain widespread popular support.
During Prime Minister Hasina‘s tenure from 2009 until her ousting in student-led protests last year, top leaders of Jamaat-e-islami faced execution or imprisonment for charges related to crimes against humanity and othre serious offenses committed in 1971. Last month, the supreme Court reinstated the party’s registration, enabling its participation in the upcoming April elections.
In response to the Yunus government’s decision to permit Saturday’s rally, Hasina’s Awami League party issued a statement on X, calling the move “a stark betrayal with the national conscience and constitutes a brazen act of undermining millions of people – dead and alive – who fought against the evil axis [in 1971].” The Yunus-led management has banned the awami League,and hasina has been in exile in India since August,facing charges of crimes against humanity.
