UPDATE - Bangladesh bans opposition Jamaat-e-Islami party

UPDATES WITH REACTION FROM JAMAAT-E-ISLAMI, REVISES DECK, ADDS DETAILS

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - The Bangladeshi government on Thursday banned the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami party, its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir and other organs under the anti-terrorism act, an official order read.

The ban will take effect immediately, said a gazette notification issued by the Home Ministry.

Reacting to the move, Jamaat-e-Islami said in a statement that the government wants to divert attention from the ongoing student protests by banning the party through an executive order.

“The constitution of Bangladesh gives all citizens the right to assemble and organize. The government has violated the constitution by banning 'Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami' and 'Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir'. We strongly condemn and protest this unconstitutional, undemocratic and unjust decision of the government,” said Shafiqur Rahman, the head of Jamaat-e-Islami.

He said that Jamaat-e-Islami has nothing to do with terrorism and anarchism.

The latest government move came as the South Asian nation has been witnessing massive student protests since last month, which the government said have led to the death of at least 150 people.

However, independent sources and local media reported that at least 266 people were killed in the protests, most of whom had bullet wounds, and thousands more were injured.

On July 15, clashes started between police and student protesters demanding an end to a quota that reserved 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in the 1971 war of independence.

In the wake of the chaos, the Supreme Court ordered the government to scale back job quotas. The 30% quota for veterans’ descendants was cut to 5%, and the quota for ethnic minorities, transgender people and disabled people was limited to 2%.

The government blamed the opposition parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, for "fueling the protests and carrying out violence."

According to the Daily Star newspaper, over 10,700 people have been arrested over the last 14 days, including many members of opposition parties.

In 2013, the Election Commission suspended the party's registration, which was officially cancelled in 2018. The Supreme Court confirmed this decision in 2023, finalizing the ban on election participation and the use of party symbols. Despite this, the party was not outright banned.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced that Jamaat-e Islami and its student wing would be treated as "militant organizations" following the ban.