ISLAMIC POLITICS IN BANGLADESH: 1971-2010
Bangladesh one of the most populous Muslim countries in the world, has seen a resurgence of Islamic political forces since its independence from Pakistan which took a sharp upturn following the first military coup detat in August 1975. Despite their setback in the 7th Jatiya Sangsad election in 1996, they remain important in Bangladesh politics. As result a large number of Islamic parties participated int he post-authoritarian three Sangsad elections. Only the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, Islami Oikkya Jote and Jaker party won some respce-table votes.
This paper describes the state of Islamic polities in Bangladesh and the position of the Islamists in Bangladeshi democracy their electoral debacle and their relationships with various governments and political parties.
ISLAMIC POLITICS AND THE CONSTITUTION
Islamic politics belong to Islamic ideology is the political system. The islamists want to establish Islamic ideology and principles in personal, social, cultural and political life. There is no obstructing as well as any problem to practices Islamic politics in Bangladesh. Though the constitution of Bangladesh provides the principle of secularism but it does not band the religion based politics. The article 12 of the constitution is “secularism and freedom of religion- the Principle f secularism shall be realised by the elimination of-
· communalism in all its forms;
· the granting by the State of political status in fovour of any religion;
· the abuse of religion for political purposes;
· any discrimination against, or persecution of, persona practicing a particular religion.”
ISLAM BASED POLITICAL PARTIES IN BANGLADESH
While the Islamic institutions and organizations are preaching Islam and Teaching Islamic principles at the societal level, the Islam based political parties are operating at political level. After 1975, under the political parties regulation Act of 1976, the number of Islam based political parties has increased, the more important being the Muslim league, Islamic Democratic league, Jamaati Islam, Nizami-i-Islam party, Jamiat-e-Islam, Islamic republican party, Bangladesh Justice party and the Bangaldesh Khilafat Andolon.
The muslim league, which championd the cause of a separate homeland for the Muslims in British India on the basis of the two-nation theory in fact an extension of the Pakistan Muslim league in bangladesh. The Islamic Democratic league has a cloze affinity with the Muslim league in terms of programme and ideology. The justice party and Nizam-i-Islam advocate the principle of Islamic Justice and rules of the Sharia. These parties stand for closes bonds of unity among the Muslim States. The Jamaat operates though a number of front organizations such as Islamic Chatra Shibir and Islamic Yubo Shibir and other religions cultural organizations as the Bangladesh Islamic centre.
CONSOLIDATION OF THE ISLAMIC POLITICAL PARTIES IN BANGLADESH
General Ershad, who seized power from President Justice Abdus Sattar is a coup in March 1982, try to secure the support of the Islam-loving people of Bangladesh, Earshad appealed to the religious forces by declaring his desire to uphold the principles and ideals of Islam and to established an Islamic Bangladesh. He formed Zakat Board, Madrasha Education Board and made Arabic a mandatory subject at the primary level, he made Islam the State religion of Bangladesh. These stapes provided enormous opportunities for the religion-as well as Islamic Political parties to go ahead with redoubled enthusiasm.
From 1982 to 1990 the Islamists matured. This period is also important for two other reasons. First, the Islamists expanded their organizations during this period. They also made considerable headway in establishing themselves as a “legitimate” political force in Bangladesh. Second, there was a debate regarding to course of Islamic movements in Bangladesh during this time. It was rather old and had its roots in the early 1960’s on the Islamists position vis-a-vis the military rulers who use Islam as a legitimization tool. Like in the 1960 the Jamaat, after an internal discussion, refused to support the unpopular and oppressive military government of Ershad as that would have gone not only against popular opinion but also against the Islamic tenets.
DEMOCRACY, ISLAMIC POLITICS AND THE SEARCH OF POLITICAL INDEPENDENCE
A commensurate domestic political divide in Bangladesh between the secular, Bengali nationalist bloc and the non-secular, Islamic bloc added to this. This latter dimension has another twist based on the country’s history. Moreover, the Jamaat’s long ties with the BNP and the fear of the AL’s return to power and expressed intent to bring back ‘secularism’ and to try the war criminals of the 1971 Lberation War, including Ghulam Azam, convinced it to keep working relationship with the BNP. Both came into an unwritten electoral understanding in the 5th Sangsad election and the Jamaat also supported the BNP in forming the government in 1991.
THE ISLAMISTS AND A CHAINGING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE AL ANDTHE BNP
After the election of 1991 BNP, Jamaat made government but due to disagreement over various issues, the BNP-Jamaat understanding began to unravel, largely to the Jamaats disadvantage. First of these issues was the issue of Ghulam Azam’s citizenship. The BNP leadership was apparently divised on this issue, which made a bad relation between BNP, Jamaat. Another issue, which made a worse relation is that Shibir and JCD’s clashes where roughly 203 Shibir and some JSD activities were killed.
The BNP government’s economic liberalization policy also had consequences on the NPN-Jamaat relationship, this economic liberalization and the BNP’s ideological conviction, unintentionally but logically increased importance of the Indian goods to Bangladesh. The Jamaat leaders also unhappy about the BNP’s “open air” Policy allowing satellite TV channels in Bangladesh which operating from India. The Jamaat also brought changes against the BNP government for its permissive altitude towards NGOs. Jamaat and other Islamists call them (NGO) as agents of the western-Christian, who engaged in a grand conspiracy against Bangladesh and Islam.
All these caused a rupture in the BNP-Jamaat relationship. Eventually, the Jamaat by 1994, joined hands with the AL and took a tougher and more uncompromising stand in the anti-BNP movement on the issue of the Non-party car taker government system.
A NEW REALITY UNDER THE SECOND AL GOVERNMENT
Hoping to emerge as a balancing force in the 7th Sangsad, the Jamaat contested all 300 constituencies and asked the voters to send it to power. The election results. However, shattered their hpes an Nizami conceded defeat and explained the reasons for the debacle. The Jamaat accused the other major parties, particularly the AL, of resorting to all sorts of unfair means. The Jamaat also blamed the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the local administrations for being partial to the AL and against the Jamaat.
The pre-election speeches of the Jamaat leaders and party pronouncements revealed optimism about the Jamaat’s emergency as an assertive, autonomous, and decisive force in the post- election politics. Untill mid May 1996, almost all the Jamaat leaders, including Ghulam Azam, had attacked the NBP and Khaleda Zia accusing her a being a pound, arrogant, and power-hungry lady and leading the country do destruction and autocratic direction. They called for preventing BNP’s return to power and putting the Jamaat to power.
ELECTORAL SET BACK AND ORGANIZATIONAL DAMAGE CONTROL
Soon after the elections, the Jamaat leadership realized its ill-conceived strategy and moved to rectify it by joining hands with the BNP. The Jamaat leaders tried to explain away the electoral debacle saying, “there is no defeat in the struggle for the establishment of the Din (rule) of Allah and pleasing Allah is the most important thing.” It was also said, “in the long efforts to please Allah and establish Din, there should be no frustration over the result of an election” and “the Jamaat is not doing politics to go to power by any means.” Therefore, no electoral setback should be viewed as a “permanent loss” and should not preoccupy and body. As Ghulam Azam said, “No defeat is final in this world................ victory hereafter in the final victory.
This allowed the Jamaat a short but necessary breathing space. Although the Jamaat’s Majlish-e Shura, soon after the elections, adopted a “quiet program” and resolved to lend general support to the BNP’s anti-government programs, it was hesitant to join in any anti-AL movement with the BNP as late as August –September 1997. Indeed, it had some apprehension about the BNP’s sincerity about anti-government movement due partly to the perception of an influential section of the BNP leadership f being soft on the AL and opposed to the Jamaat and the Islamists.
THE ISLAMISTS, THE 4-PARTY ALLIANCE AND ELECTIONS
The politico-cultural and religious context forced the Jamaat and other Islamists to recast their political strategy and came into an alliance with the BNP and one or another faction of the JP against the AL government. Thus , after the Pabna-2 by elections, the Jamaat, BNP, a JP faction, and IOJ formed the 4- party alliance. The alliance boycotted the Pourashabha (municipality) elections in January 1999 and all elections under the AL government since then.
The 4- party alliance fought the 8th Sangsad elections in October 2001 jointly to ensure their victory. The Election Results (see Table 2) of the 298 of the total 300 seats show that the Islamists did well with the Jamaat gaining 17 and IOJ gaining 2 seats. For the first time in independent Bangladesh, the Jamaat joined the Cabinet. The results reflected the deep frustration of the electorates with AL rule. The government’s failure in curbing terrorism, controlling corruption, promoting administrative and economic reforms, and economic managemant played of the opposition and its use of the administration for partisan purposes, alienated the AL from the voters.
The electoral sucess of the Islamists, particularly the Jamaat, also validates the explanation put forth here for the Jamaat’s electoral success in 1991 and debacle in 1996. It is quite fear the Jamaat’s electoral success in 2001 was largely due to its alliance with the BNP as the BNP voters voted for the Jamaat. The IOJ’s victory in two seats can also be attributed to its alliance with the BNP.
THE ISLAMISTS AND THE 3RD AL GOVERNMENT
After 1/11 the military backed care taken government hold 9th general election on 29the December 2008, where all political parties participated mainly two parties leaded as name of grand coalition by AL and 4-party alliance by BNP. Each coalition has some Islamists party where dominated Islamist party Jamaat and IOJ with the BNP. The result of this election was the AL leaded grand coalition won landslide victory and 4-party alliance defected worst. After the formation of new government, started the jurisdiction against war criminals, where the Jamaat and some BNP leaders accused of war criminals and this jurisdiction is going on, which make Jamaat politically and organizational weak.
After the above discussion it can be said that, the Islamists had to travel a long and winding road to come to the point where they stand now. The journey was neither easy nor smooth. The made some serious misjudgments in their journey. From being ostracized for its anti-Bangladesh role in 1971, the Islamists have largely gained legitimacy in Bangladesh politics today. Two of its top leader have for the first time become Cabinet ministers in 2001. Indeed, soon after the creation of Bangladesh despite their violent opposition in 1971, the Islamists realized the “Muslim” nature of Bangladesh and began to pose themselves as the strongest and genuine defenders of Bangladesh’s national independence and sovereignty.
The Islamists’ political revival and consolidation took place during 1975-1990 under the military – authoritarian governments. The military governments’ domestic and external policies also benefited the Islamists. The elections performance of the Islamists suggest theta they are for form coming to power through elections, and, more importantly, they cannot yet do well in the elections without an alliance with the BNP. The Islamists’ association with the BNP brings about some moderation in their behavior. The electoral compulsions and its leadership’s upward socio-economic mobility somewhat contributed to the acceptance of non-violent and non-revolutionary paths. It is considered as an Islamic Democratic party.
REFERENCES
· The constitution of Bangladesh.
· S.P. Huntington, The clash of civilization.
· Talukder Mainruzzaman, Bangladesh politics: Secular and Islamic trends.
· Mahjfuzul Haque Chowdhury, Thirty years of Bangladesh politics.
· Muhammad A. Hakim, The use of Islam as a political legitimization tool: The Bangladesh experience.
· Anwara Begum, The Role of the Jamaat-e-Islami in the political Development of Bangladesh.
ISLAMIC POLITICS IN BANGLADESH: 1971-2010
Good Presentation.
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