Jamaat in disarray

The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has been passing through its worst-ever period in recent times following the execution of its top leaders, including the ameer, convicted for crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War. Several opinions have emerged within the party over its next course of action. In particular, the matter of electing a new leadership has become a major issue within the country’s largest Islamist party. Youths within the Jamaat, which got permission to operate as a party in 1976, want the new leadership to be chosen from among the post-Independence generation. This, they feel, will help rid the Jamaat of its anti-Liberation stigma for which the party is finding it difficult to work freely. On the other hand, elderly leaders opine that there is no immediate need for bringing about changes in the party leadership, and they want to uphold the traditional ideology of the party.
 The observance of hartal, including that on Thursday in protest against Nizami’s execution, without any violent incident shows that party leaders are looking for a new strategy. This was also evident after talking to some senior leaders of the Jamaat, which is a major ally of the BNP-led 20-Party Opposition Alliance.  The leaders, however, said the possibility of bringing about immediate changes in the top leadership of the Jamaat is remote, following the execution of party ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami and secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammed Mojaheed on war crime charges.
 In their absence, they said, acting Jamaat ameer Makbul Ahmad and acting secretary general Dr Shafiqur Rahman will continue to lead the party till the election of a new leadership.  The matter is being discussed widely both inside and outside the party as to who will be elected the new Jamaat ameer and secretary general. Nizami was executed in the early hours of Wednesday for crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation.  Several names have come up as prospective candidates for the two top posts, but leaders see no immediate possibility of an election to choose the ameer and secretary general.  At present, the Jamaat leaders are mourning the execution of the party ameer. They will sit together to decide the party’s strategy and next course of action, said insiders.  The leaders will discuss organisational matters when they will find a conducive atmosphere. But under the present regime of the Awami League-led government, they hardly see any opportunity to reorganise the party machine, insiders added. A Majlish-e-Shura member, preferring anonymity, said it is not possible to hold a conference to elect the new leadership in the present situation. “It depends on the attitude of the government. But going by the prevailing situation, there is no possibility of an election during the present government,” he added.
The leader, however, said if the party high-ups decide to hold the poll, assistant election commissioners would have to collect votes of members physically from the districts.
Makbul Ahmad has been working as the acting ameer of the Jamaat for about seven years following the arrest of Jamaat ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami on June 29, 2010. Dr Shafiqur Rahman was made acting secretary general of the party the same day following the arrest of secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammed Mujaheed, who was executed on November 21 last year on war crime charges, according to party sources. Both Nizami and Mujaheed were first elected party ameer and secretary general through direct ballot of party rokons (members) in 2001. They were re-elected for the last time in 2009, and there was no election after that as the situation went beyond the party’s control following their arrests only a year after their re-election, said the sources. According to section 2 of article 15 of the party constitution, the ameer is elected directly by rokons (members) for a three-year term. Section (6/ka) of article 15 says if the Jamaat ameer is unable to function for sixth months, he will appoint the acting ameer from the ranks of nayebe (deputy) ameers of the party in consultation with the central executive committee members.
In case of inability of the ameer or the post falls vacant suddenly, it will require the approval of the Majlish-e-Shura to appoint an acting ameer. In that case, the acting ameer will arrange an election of the ameer within six months. Under special circumstances, the executive committee will be able to suspend the timetable of the acting ameer for a logical period and expand his activities, but it cannot cross the limit of election of the party ameer, said the party charter. However, section (6/gha) of article 15 reads, if the party executive committee considers that election of the ameer is not possible in any way, the acting ameer will function as the ameer with the approval of the Majlish-e-Shura, the highest policymaking body. The Jamaat has about 30,000 rokons, around 250 members of the Majlish-e-Shura and 21 members of the executive committee. The Jamaat, that had emerged as a political party in Bangladesh after the constitutional ban on Islamic political parties was lifted in 1976, won 18 seats in parliamentary elections in 1991. The parliamentary seat was reduced to three during 1996 elections and it was shrunk to only two in 2008 election.
The Jamaat has been facing crises following the arrest of its central leaders, including party ameer and secretary general in 2010, on war crime charges. Two other senior leaders of the party—Mohammed Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Mollah—- were also executed earlier on war crime charges and the trial of two senior leaders are now pending before the International Crimes Tribunal. The existence of the Jamaat is now at stake as the Election Commission has postponed the party’s registration following a High Court verdict declaring it illegal. The matter is, however, pending before the higher court. The government has taken a tougher stand against Jamaat activities and is planning to impose a ban on the Jamaat, accusing it of war crimes. In the event of a government ban, the leaders are working out new strategies as to how they would operate under a new banner when most of the senior leaders are either in prison or have been executed. The then Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan strongly opposed the independence of Bangladesh and the break-up of Pakistan. It collaborated with the Pakistani Army in its operations against Bengali nationalists and pro-Liberation intellectuals during the War of Liberation.

Jamaat in disarray

The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has been passing through its worst-ever period in recent times following the execution of its top leaders, including the ameer, convicted for crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War. Several opinions have emerged within the party over its next course of action. In particular, the matter of electing a new leadership has become a major issue within the countrys largest Islamist party. Youths within the Jamaat, which got permission to operate as a party in 1976, want the new leadership to be chosen from among the post-Independence generation. This, they feel, will help rid the Jamaat of its anti-Liberation stigma for which the party is finding it difficult to work freely. On the other hand, elderly leaders opine that there is no immediate need for bringing about changes in the party leadership, and they want to uphold the traditional ideology of the party. The observance of hartal, including that on Thursday in protest against Nizamis execution, without any violent incident shows that party leaders are looking for a new strategy. This was also evident after talking to some senior leaders of the Jamaat, which is a major ally of the BNP-led 20-Party Opposition Alliance. The leaders, however, said the possibility of bringing about immediate changes in the top leadership of the Jamaat is remote, following the execution of party ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami and secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammed Mojaheed on war crime charges. In their absence, they said, acting Jamaat ameer Makbul Ahmad and acting secretary general Dr Shafiqur Rahman will continue to lead the party till the election of a new leadership. The matter is being discussed widely both inside and outside the party as to who will be elected the new Jamaat ameer and secretary general. Nizami was executed in the early hours of Wednesday for crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation. Several names have come up as prospective candidates for the two top posts, but leaders see no immediate possibility of an election to choose the ameer and secretary general. At present, the Jamaat leaders are mourning the execution of the party ameer. They will sit together to decide the partys strategy and next course of action, said insiders. The leaders will discuss organisational matters when they will find a conducive atmosphere. But under the present regime of the Awami League-led government, they hardly see any opportunity to reorganise the party machine, insiders added. A Majlish-e-Shura member, preferring anonymity, said it is not possible to hold a conference to elect the new leadership in the present situation. It depends on the attitude of the government. But going by the prevailing situation, there is no possibility of an election during the present government, he added. The leader, however, said if the party high-ups decide to hold the poll, assistant election commissioners would have to collect votes of members physically from the districts. Makbul Ahmad has been working as the acting ameer of the Jamaat for about seven years following the arrest of Jamaat ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami on June 29, 2010. Dr Shafiqur Rahman was made acting secretary general of the party the same day following the arrest of secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammed Mujaheed, who was executed on November 21 last year on war crime charges, according to party sources. Both Nizami and Mujaheed were first elected party ameer and secretary general through direct ballot of party rokons (members) in 2001. They were re-elected for the last time in 2009, and there was no election after that as the situation went beyond the partys control following their arrests only a year after their re-election, said the sources. According to section 2 of article 15 of the party constitution, the ameer is elected directly by rokons (members) for a three-year term. Section (6/ka) of article 15 says if the Jamaat ameer is unable to function for sixth months, he will appoint the acting ameer from the ranks of nayebe (deputy) ameers of the party in consultation with the central executive committee members. In case of inability of the ameer or the post falls vacant suddenly, it will require the approval of the Majlish-e-Shura to appoint an acting ameer. In that case, the acting ameer will arrange an election of the ameer within six months. Under special circumstances, the executive committee will be able to suspend the timetable of the acting ameer for a logical period and expand his activities, but it cannot cross the limit of election of the party ameer, said the party charter. However, section (6/gha) of article 15 reads, if the party executive committee considers that election of the ameer is not possible in any way, the acting ameer will function as the ameer with the approval of the Majlish-e-Shura, the highest policymaking body. The Jamaat has about 30,000 rokons, around 250 members of the Majlish-e-Shura and 21 members of the executive committee. The Jamaat, that had emerged as a political party in Bangladesh after the constitutional ban on Islamic political parties was lifted in 1976, won 18 seats in parliamentary elections in 1991. The parliamentary seat was reduced to three during 1996 elections and it was shrunk to only two in 2008 election. The Jamaat has been facing crises following the arrest of its central leaders, including party ameer and secretary general in 2010, on war crime charges. Two other senior leaders of the partyMohammed Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Mollah- were also executed earlier on war crime charges and the trial of two senior leaders are now pending before the International Crimes Tribunal. The existence of the Jamaat is now at stake as the Election Commission has postponed the partys registration following a High Court verdict declaring it illegal. The matter is, however, pending before the higher court. The government has taken a tougher stand against Jamaat activities and is planning to impose a ban on the Jamaat, accusing it of war crimes. In the event of a government ban, the leaders are working out new strategies as to how they would operate under a new banner when most of the senior leaders are either in prison or have been executed. The then Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan strongly opposed the independence of Bangladesh and the break-up of Pakistan. It collaborated with the Pakistani Army in its operations against Bengali nationalists and pro-Liberation intellectuals during the War of Liberation.