Bangladesh lifts ban on local Jamaat-i-Islami party

Published August 28, 2024
Activists of the Anti-Discriminatory Student Movement gather at the University of Dhaka’s Teacher Student Center (TSC), demanding the capital punishment for Bangladeshi former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the deaths of students during anti-quota protests, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 13, 2024 — Reuters
Activists of the Anti-Discriminatory Student Movement gather at the University of Dhaka’s Teacher Student Center (TSC), demanding the capital punishment for Bangladeshi former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the deaths of students during anti-quota protests, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 13, 2024 — Reuters

Bangladesh’s caretaker government revoked a ban on the country’s main Islamic party and its affiliated groups on Wednesday, saying it has not found evidence of their involvement in “terrorist activities”.

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government had banned the Jamaat-e-Islami party under an anti-terrorism law, blaming it for stoking deadly violence during student-led protests that turned into an uprising against Hasina, forcing her to resign and flee to India on Aug 5.

A gazette notification on Wednesday by the caretaker government that replaced Hasina’s administration said there was “no specific evidence of involvement of Jamaat” and its affiliates “in terrorist activities”.

The party has denied allegations that it stoked violence and had condemned the ban as “illegal, extrajudicial and unconstitutional.”

Jamaat has not been able to contest elections in Bangladesh after a court said in 2013 that its registration as a political party conflicted with Bangladesh’s secular constitution.

Shishir Monir, a lawyer for the party, said it will file a petition early next week at the Supreme Court to seek restoration of its registration.

Opinion

Editorial

Exit strategy
Updated 18 Mar, 2026

Exit strategy

MOST members of the international community, particularly states in the greater Middle East, are gravely concerned...
Unsafe trains
18 Mar, 2026

Unsafe trains

SUNDAY’S accident involving the Shalimar Express has once again brought into sharp focus the deep structural and...
Disappointment in Dhaka
18 Mar, 2026

Disappointment in Dhaka

FOR a side looking for lift-off after a disappointing T20 World Cup, it was despair for Shaheen Shah Afridi’s ...
Missing in action
17 Mar, 2026

Missing in action

NOT exactly known for playing a proactive role in protecting the interests of Muslim nations and populations...
Risk to stability
Updated 17 Mar, 2026

Risk to stability

THE risks to Pakistan’s fragile economic recovery from the US-Israel war on Iran cannot be dismissed. Yet the...
Enrolment push
17 Mar, 2026

Enrolment push

THE federal government has embarked upon the welcome initiative to enrol 25,000 out-of-school children in Islamabad...