With the top brass virtually inactive because of war crimes allegations and ruling party’s belligerent attitude, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami opts to bring in changes in party mechanisms for its existence.

The party, accused of committing war crimes during Independence War in 1971, has already shrunk its widespread recruiting drives and even reconsidering changing its name.

The Election Commission (EC) in 2013 cancelled Jamaat’s registration, stripping the party of its right to take part in any kind of elections as an organisation, following a court order. The EC said Jamaat’s constitution was non-compliant with the state constitution.

One way in which the party could re-emerge in the country’s democratic scene is by changing its name and getting re-registered with the EC.

A central committee member said one of the proposed names was Islamic Democratic Party (IDP). Abdur Razzaq, one of the few top Jamaat leaders not accused of war crimes, tried to spread the idea.

The central leader confirmed that Razzaq had achieved support from some mid-level leaders.

That idea induced mixed emotions among the party ranks. Many leaders and activists have said the name ‘Jamaat’ was a brand and hence the party would lose much of its ‘political charm’ if it picked up a new name.

According to a US embassy cable leaked by whistleblowing website WikiLeaks on 1 September 2011, the party had a backup plan ready sensing the possibility of either a ban or a cancellation of registration.

On 10 February 2010, Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Abdur Razzaq, who is also the chief counsel for the party leaders facing war crimes charges, had briefed the then US ambassador in Dhaka James F Moriarty about how the party would re-emerge if declared outlawed.

‘If Bangladesh banned religious-based political parties, Jamaat will emulate the response of religious-based political parties in Turkey. Jamaat will rename itself and remove religious tenets from its constitution, but will at the same time challenge the ruling in court,’ the cable read.

Jamaat Working Committee Member Motiur Rahman Akhand, however, told NTV Online that there had not been any discussion within the party ranks about changing the party’s name; at least not that he knew of.

Fresh blood in leadership

Jamaat-e-Islami now tries to establish a new leadership as its senior leaders have gone virtually out of regular activities.

Among familiar Jamaat leaders Ghulam Azam has died, and ANM Abdur Zaher and Shafiqur Rahman and are really old and do not play any significant role in the party.

Party Ameer (president) Motiur Rahman Nizami and secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid have already been handed down death sentences.

Arguably the most popular leader of the party, Delawar Hossain Sayedee, who belongs to the third tier, has also been life time jail for war crimes.

In absence of the top leadership, fourth tier leaders, namely acting president Mokbul Ahmed, acting secretary general Dr. Shafiqur Rahman and member Syed Abdullah Mohammad Abu Taher, along with others, are running the party. They are all relatively young, former leaders of Islami Chhatra Shibir and are aged between 40 and 50 years.

Most of the former Shibir presidents are now members of the Majlish-e-Sura, executive committee and the central working committee – the three top policymaking bodies of Jamaat.

Many other former Shibir leaders, who have made it to the central command of Jamaat, were charged in many criminal cases.

As a result, most of the top and mid-level leaders of the party have been staying ‘underground’ to avert arrests.

It is also because of this policy of averting arrest that Jamaat does not have any visible organisational presence in the capital.

However, the leadership of Jamaat and Shibir based outside Dhaka have said things have not been that difficult for them. They had been conducting routine activities without much trouble, they added.

An emergency situation

Jamaat-e-Islami is considering the time since 2010 an ‘emergency’ and took initiatives to boost its finance to run the party ‘underground,’ said a central working committee member, who was also former central committee president of Islami Chhatra Shibir. 

The leader said, in ideal conditions, a ‘rukon’ — meaning a full member of the party — annually donates a month’s income to the party fund. But during the emergency the rukons raised the donation as finance is the backbone of all activities.

Many socio-cultural and business organisations also stretched their helps for the party.

Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mujahid, now a war crimes convict, approved many NGOs during his tenure as the social welfare minister from 2001-2006.

Some of them are: the Islamic Law Forum, Economic Research Bureau, Islami Samaj Kalyan Samity O Pathagar, Bangladesh Masjid Mission and so on.

Sources said these NGOs are now working in full throttle to keep up the party’s finances and organisational activities in the guise of working on education and health. They are also spreading Islamic culture and values.

Besides, the district committee leaders, engaged in various trades and businesses, now donate for the welfare of the party.

Ray of hope or pretension

Jamal Uddin, member of a Dhaka city committee of the party, said: ‘The situation has changed. The recruitment process has come to a standstill as we cannot conduct any public programme. The government is not allowing us to work in daylight.’

Some other leaders, however, differ him. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, central working committee member, said: ‘It is not a big deal whether the number of members has increased or not. Rather people are now more sympathetic towards Jamaat. The government’s repression has turned out to be a blessing.’

Regarding Jamaat’s popularity, central working committee member Motiur Rahman Akhand said: ‘Jamaat has secured 36% votes in the last upazila council elections. Do you think we have forced people to vote for us? Or has the votes come from the air? Popularity is not an issue for us.’