NEW DELHI: Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has lifted the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest Muslim political party. The ban, initially imposed under an anti-terrorism law during the last days of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s administration, was revoked by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday. A gazette notification from the caretaker government stated that there was “no specific evidence of involvement of Jamaat” or its affiliates “in terrorist activities.”
Jamaat-e-Islami, which has millions of supporters, has been barred from contesting elections since 2013 due to a High Court ruling that declared its charter in violation of Bangladesh’s secular constitution. This ruling led to the party’s exclusion from the 2014, 2018, and 2024 elections, during which Sheikh Hasina secured her fifth term amid criticisms regarding the lack of credible opposition.
The ban was imposed on August 1, shortly before Hasina was ousted following student-led protests against a controversial government job quota system. Jamaat-e-Islami was accused of inciting unrest during these protests, but the party has consistently denied these allegations, calling the ban “illegal, extrajudicial, and unconstitutional.”
In response to the lifting of the ban, Jamaat-e-Islami announced plans to petition the Supreme Court to restore its registration with the Bangladesh Election Commission, seeking to participate in future elections. Founded in 1941 during British colonial rule, the party opposed the creation of Bangladesh as an independent state during the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. Since 2013, many of its senior leaders have faced convictions for crimes against humanity related to the 1971 conflict, with several being executed or imprisoned. Bangladesh achieved independence on December 16, 1971, with significant support from neighboring India.
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