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Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh (often referred as just 'Jamaat') is the largest and most influential Islamic 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. Today the BNP-Jamaat alliance enjoys 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.

The critics alleged that the Jamaat as a party, some of its top leaders and current MPs such as Matiur Rahman Nizami and Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, assisted the Pakistani army in their suppression of the liberation movement that later guaranteed Bangladesh their independence - and thus have committed war crimes. These charges, denied by the Jamaat leaders in question, however have been ignored by all the governments ever came to power in Bangladesh and there has never been an official trial or investigation to prosecute the Jamaat of these allegations. This is due to the fact that two largest political parties of Bangladesh, namely Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party, used Jamaat and its immense street power topple each other. Also significant is the fact that both the parties formed government with Jamaat's support. So they were in no position to investigate war crime allegations against Jamaat leaders.

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 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 mass killing operation of the Pakistani army begin on March 25 1971, one of the bloodiest genocides of history, it is alleged that Jamaat created groups in order to help the Pakistani army in operations against the freedom fighters Mukti Bahini (Liberation Army). These groups were named Rajakar, Al-Badr, Al-Shams etc. It is also alleged that Razakars were the mastermind of the killing of intellectual Bengali university professors, musicians and writers on December 14 1971. The day is today known in Bangladesh as Bhuddijibi Dibos (Intellectual killing Day), and occurred just before the surrender of the Pakistani army at Rayer Bazaar, Dhaka. A monument is built there by Bangladesh Government later.

Jamaat, however, always denied that it had any role in the atrocities and mass killings of 1971 by Pakistani army. Jamaat also challenged that claims of their involvement in the mass killings could not be proved in a court of justice.

Jamaat members' role was forgiven (spokenly) by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh in order for restore law and peace. But Jamaat's political activities was banned and citizenship of Golam Azam, leader of Jamaat, was cancelled. Jamaat was allowed to carry out political activities again in 1977 when Ziaur Rahman introduced multiparty democracy. He also allowed Golam Azam to return to Bangladesh from Pakistan. Golam Azam came back with a Pakistani passport and retook the position as the leader of Jamaat.

After ending military rule in the 1990, protests began against Golam Azam and Jamaat because of their war-crimes. As a result of the protests, his citizenship was challenged by the state as he came in with a Pakistani passport. But the Supreme Court of Bangladesh gave Azam Bangladeshi citizenship as the panel of Judges agreed that he was a Bangladeshi by birth. Later the party named Motiur Rahman Nizami, another alleged war criminal, as its leader.

Although it participates in the national government, the Jamaat is still politically stigmatized amongst large sections of Bangladeshi society, because of their role as active collaborators with the Pakistani regime during the Liberation War. The word rajakar today carries the meaning 'traitor' in common Bangladeshi parlance (similar to the usage of the word Quisling after the Second World War).

External links

Jamaat's official web site

This Bangladesh-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 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]].
+The critics alleged that the Jamaat as a party, some of its top leaders and current MPs such as [[Matiur Rahman Nizami]] and [[Delwar Hossain Sayeedi]], assisted the Pakistani army in their suppression of the [[liberation]] movement that later guaranteed Bangladesh their independence - and thus have committed war crimes. These charges, denied by the Jamaat leaders in question, however have been ignored by all the governments ever came to power in Bangladesh and there has never been an official trial or investigation to prosecute the Jamaat of these allegations. This is due to the fact that two largest political parties of Bangladesh, namely Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party, used Jamaat and its immense street power topple each other. Also significant is the fact that both the parties formed government with Jamaat's support. So they were in no position to investigate war crime allegations against Jamaat leaders.
-Their critics however have alleged that through its advocation of a non-Islamic political process such as democracy, being part of a non-Islamic government which establishes and condones non-Islamic law, through their alliance with primarily non-Islamic nationalist and socialist political outfits such as the BNP and the [[Jatiya Party]] and the nature of its many businesses and social centres such as the institution Manarat - depict the Jamaat of a more overtly nationalistic party, whose views and expressions parallel that of Pakistani [[socialism]] - which uses the name of Islam as a political [[facade]] to help it gain popularity among the religious populace of Bangladesh and thus gain economic and financial advantages to run its many businesses and social centres.
-The critics have also alleged that the Jamaat, and their leaders and current MPs such as [[Matiur Rahman Nizami]] and [[Delwar Hossain Sayeedi]], assisted the Pakistani army, with whom Jamaat's political branch in Pakistan had a link with, in their suppression of the [[liberation]] movement that later guaranteed Bangladesh their independence - and thus have committed war crimes. These charges, denied by the Jamaat leaders in question, however have been ignored by the current government and there has never been an official trial or investigation to prosecute the Jamaat of these allegations.
 == History of the party ==
@@ Line 14: / Line 12: @@
 The ''[[Jamaat-e-Islami]]'' was founded in pre-partition [[India]] by [[Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi|Syed Ab'ul Ala Maududi]] in [[1941]]. Maulana Maududi moved to [[Pakistan]] 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 mass killing operation of the [[Pakistan]]i army begin on [[March 25]] [[1971]], one of the bloodiest genocides of history, Jamaat created groups in order to help the Pakistani army in operations against the freedom fighters [[Mukti Bahini]] (Liberation Army). These groups were named ''[[Rajakar]]'', ''Al-Badr'', ''Al-Shams'' etc. The victims of the terror was also young innocent Bangladeshis. [[Rajakar]] also raped women aged upto 60. At least 10,000 women were raped by them. Children born by this were taken taken to [[Mother Teresa]]'s [[Missionaries of Charity]] at [[calcutta]] or adopted by Canada-US-Europe families. Jamaat was also the mastermind of the killing of intellectual Bengali university professors, musicians and writers on December 14 [[1971]]. The day is today known in [[Bangladesh]] as [[Bhuddijibi Dibos]] (Intellectual killing Day), and occurred just before the surrender of the Pakistani army at [[Rayer Bazaar]], [[Dhaka]]. A monument is built there by Bangladesh Government later.
+After mass killing operation of the [[Pakistan]]i army begin on [[March 25]] [[1971]], one of the bloodiest genocides of history, it is alleged that Jamaat created groups in order to help the Pakistani army in operations against the freedom fighters [[Mukti Bahini]] (Liberation Army). These groups were named ''[[Rajakar]]'', ''Al-Badr'', ''Al-Shams'' etc. It is also alleged that Razakars were the mastermind of the killing of intellectual Bengali university professors, musicians and writers on December 14 [[1971]]. The day is today known in [[Bangladesh]] as [[Bhuddijibi Dibos]] (Intellectual killing Day), and occurred just before the surrender of the Pakistani army at [[Rayer Bazaar]], [[Dhaka]]. A monument is built there by Bangladesh Government later.
-Just before the surrender of the Pakistani army, several Jamaat leaders fled to [[West Pakistan]]. [[Golam Azam]] fled on [[3rd December]]. Jamaat, however, always denied that it had any role in the atrocities and mass killings of 1971 by Pakistani army. Jamaat also challenged that claims of their involvement in the mass killings could not be proved in a court of justice.
+Jamaat, however, always denied that it had any role in the atrocities and mass killings of 1971 by Pakistani army. Jamaat also challenged that claims of their involvement in the mass killings could not be proved in a court of justice.
-Jamaat members' role was forgiven (spokenly) by [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]], the founding father of Bangladesh in order for restore law and peace. But Jamaat's political activities was banned  and citizenship of [[Golam Azam]], leader of Jamaat, was cancelled. Jamaat was allowed to carry out political activities again in 1977 when [[Ziaur Rahman]] introduced multiparty democracy in order to use Islamic sentiment to country. He also allowed Golam Azam to return to Bangladesh from Pakistan. Golam Azam came back with a Pakistani passport and retook the position as the leader of Jamaat.
+Jamaat members' role was forgiven (spokenly) by [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]], the founding father of Bangladesh in order for restore law and peace. But Jamaat's political activities was banned  and citizenship of [[Golam Azam]], leader of Jamaat, was cancelled. Jamaat was allowed to carry out political activities again in 1977 when [[Ziaur Rahman]] introduced multiparty democracy. He also allowed Golam Azam to return to Bangladesh from Pakistan. Golam Azam came back with a Pakistani passport and retook the position as the leader of Jamaat.
 After ending [[military rule]] in the 1990, protests began against Golam Azam and Jamaat because of their war-crimes. As a result of the protests, his citizenship was challenged by the state as he came in with a Pakistani passport. But the Supreme Court of Bangladesh gave Azam Bangladeshi citizenship as the panel of Judges agreed that he was a Bangladeshi by birth. Later the party named Motiur Rahman Nizami, another alleged war criminal, as its leader.
@@ Line 24: / Line 22: @@
 Although it participates in the national government, the Jamaat is still politically stigmatized amongst large sections of [[Bangladesh]]i society, because of their role as active collaborators with the [[Pakistan]]i regime during the [[Bangladesh Liberation War|Liberation War]]. The word ''rajakar'' today carries the meaning 'traitor' in common Bangladeshi parlance (similar to the usage of the word [[Quisling]] after the [[Second World War]]).
-Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh still has strong ties with Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan. It has also been accused of being the mastermind behind a series of deadly terrorist attacks in Bangladesh against secular and liberal political and cultural organizations as well as on foregners and minorities.
 ==See also==