On Wednesday, the new Bangladeshi authorities lifted the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest Islamist party. This ban, which was imposed in the final days of former leader Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, has been revoked.
The official announcement stated, “The previous order dated August 1, 2024, that imposed a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami has been canceled. This decision takes effect immediately.”
Jamaat-e-Islami, with its substantial support base, was barred from participating in elections starting in 2013 after the high court deemed its principles incompatible with the secular constitution of Bangladesh. The party faced restrictions in the 2014, 2018, and January 2024 elections, which saw Sheikh Hasina win a fifth term in elections marred by allegations of irregularities and the absence of significant opposition.
The ban was extended under an anti-terrorism law on August 1, just days before Hasina’s departure from power following widespread student-led protests, during which she fled to India by helicopter.
The recent government order lifts the ban on both Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, citing a lack of specific evidence linking the party to terrorism and violence.
Jamaat-e-Islami is one of the major political forces in Bangladesh, alongside the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
