Sources say the Awami League has taken the initiative to seek the support of pro-government Islamist parties to tackle the possible impact of the move The top leaders of the Qawmi madrasa-based political parties and Islamic scholars have been invited to a views-exchange meeting with Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban. Sources say the Awami League has taken the initiative to seek the support of the pro-government Islamist parties to tackle the possible impact of its stark move to outlaw Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Wednesday.
Earlier, the prime minister decided to ban Jamaat on July 29 after assessing the violence and deaths during the quota reform movement and Jamaat’s role at an emergency meeting of the 14-party alliance at Ganabhaban. The decision came three days after the BNP called for the national unity of all political parties, including Jamaat, and groups to oust the government. Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) has already hinted support for the movement, while Jamaat gave a nod to the call on July 30.
No other Qawmi madrasa-based parties have clarified their stance on joining the national unity as of yet. Law Minister Anisul Huq said on Tuesday that the government will ban Jamaat through an executive order. He later sat with six other ministers, including Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, at night to finalize the process for implementing the ban. It is likely that the Home Ministry will issue a circular in line with the Special Powers Act or the Anti-Terrorism Act on Wednesday.
A senior leader of Islami Oikyo Jote, seeking anonymity, told Bangla Tribune on Tuesday night that three leaders of the party Chairman Mulana Abul Hasnat, Secretary General Mufti Faizullah and Maulana Altaf Hossain would join the meeting. He added that many of the country’s top Islamic scholars would attend the meeting. Contacted, Hefazat-e-Islami leader Maulana Azizul Huq Islamabadi said he had no idea about such meetings.
Another Hefazat leader said the Ameer or Secretary General of the Hathazari-based Islamist group might join the meeting at Ganobhaban. Several leaders of different Islamist parties said the government wanted to discuss the Jamaat ban with them, considering the fact that Jamaat and Qawmi madarasa-based parties and groups have long-standing ideological differences. Qawmi scholars have issued a “fatwa” opposing various philosophies of the founder of the party, Abul A'la al-Maududi.
Many Qawmi scholars from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan have written various books on the wrong interpretation of Islam by Jamaat. Earlier, the International Crimes Tribunal described Jamaat as a criminal organization in 2013 for supporting the Pakistani occupation army by forming auxiliary forces like Al-Badr, Razakar, Al Shams, and the Peace Committee, which actively participated in genocide, rape, arson and looting during the Liberation War.
In light of the tribunal verdicts, the government took some steps to amend the related law but did not place the bill in parliament. On the other hand, the Election Commission cancelled Jamaat’s registration for failing to fulfil the conditions in 2013. Five years later, Jamaat also lost its case in the High Court in 2018, and its appeal against the 2018 order was rejected by the Appellate Division on November 19 last year.