Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is set to
emerge with a new name. The party is reportedly to adapt Bangladesh
Development Party (BDP) as its new name.
However, the party will secretly have the organisational structure of Jamaat. Jamaat leaders aging 60 or above will not be included in the new party.
Jamaat sources said the party policymakers have almost finalised the decision of forming the new party considering that soon Jamaat might be banned. The field-level leaders of Jamaat have already started talking about the new party BDP in different organisational unit meetings.
Jamaat sources said the party also selected two possible top leaders of the new party along with organising it. The current acting secretary general of Jamaat Shafiqur Rahman might be the president of the new party. He is a physician aging nearly 60. Former Jamaat MP and also central executive committee member Hamidur Rahman Azad is expected to be the general secretary of the new party. The other posts are being distributed among the leaders, sources added.
A number of other sources of the party said, if Shafiqur Rahman becomes BDP president, the Dhaka city Jamaat Ameer Rafiqul Islam Khan will be appointed as Jamaat secretary general. Both are almost the same age. Though, it is not clear why he has been kept as the Jamaat secretary general.
A frontline Jamaat leader seeking anonymity said the party policy makers are forming the new party fearing ban on Jamaat for being a party of war criminals. However, the main party Jamaat will not be dissolved. The new party will have the authority and influence of Jamaat. Keeping this in mind, Rafiqul Islam Khan will be kept in the important post of Jamaat, said the Jamaat leader.
A member of Jamaat’s central executive committee said there is difference of opinion over forming a new party and not dissolving Jamaat despite being banned. Some of the leaders think this will keep the opportunity to reorganise Jamaat if things are in favour again.
Sources also said, none of the Jamaat leaders aged above 60 will be kept in the new party. They will be part of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami only. However, they would not be doing politics anymore. These leaders would keep doing their dawaati (preaching) programmes secretly and work for the new party from behind the scenes. This will cleanse the party of the older generation’s stigma of their anti-independence stance in 1971.
A close observer of Jamaat’s politics and former secretary Shah Abdul Hannan told Prothom Alo on Friday night, “Jamaat is ready for any kind of situation as far as I know. However, they think that no law abiding democratic party could be banned. The government won’t do such thing.”
Competent sources in the Jamaat said that they run the organisational activities of the party through a four-point programme.
1. Dawat and Tablighi (purification of thoughts and reorganisation)
2. Organisation and training
3. Social work and reforms
4. Reforms and correction of the state
Basically, the point number four is the political outline of the Jamaat.
If the party is banned, the new political party BDP will implement this point.
Two top Jamaat leaders involved with the process of forming the new party, said that the leaders who are over 60 years old will secretly work on the first two points.
And, point number three (social work and reforms) will be carried out in the name of different like-minded professional and social organisations.
The process of banning Jamaat as a political party is also being carried out for its crimes against humanity committed during the liberation war in 1971.
Law minister Anisul Haque said Jamaat will be tried as a political organisation within March after the amendment of International Crimes Tribunals.
The process of forming a new party in place of Jamaat began around one and a half years ago, sources said.
After following a ‘go slow’ policy, Jamaat has recently intensified the process as the party was facing pressure from inside.
As the government and law enforcement agencies have been giving no breathing space to the party, a faction of Jamaat was planning to launch a social movement in the shape of Turkey’s ‘Gulen movement’.
Jamaat policymakers thus focussed on forming the new party, sources said.
Naib-e-ameer of Jamaat Mujibur Rahman told Prothom Alo on 22 November, 2014, “Jamaat was banned more than once in the past. We’re not at all worried about this. We have the experience of how to work in case of being banned.”
However, the party will secretly have the organisational structure of Jamaat. Jamaat leaders aging 60 or above will not be included in the new party.
Jamaat sources said the party policymakers have almost finalised the decision of forming the new party considering that soon Jamaat might be banned. The field-level leaders of Jamaat have already started talking about the new party BDP in different organisational unit meetings.
Jamaat sources said the party also selected two possible top leaders of the new party along with organising it. The current acting secretary general of Jamaat Shafiqur Rahman might be the president of the new party. He is a physician aging nearly 60. Former Jamaat MP and also central executive committee member Hamidur Rahman Azad is expected to be the general secretary of the new party. The other posts are being distributed among the leaders, sources added.
A number of other sources of the party said, if Shafiqur Rahman becomes BDP president, the Dhaka city Jamaat Ameer Rafiqul Islam Khan will be appointed as Jamaat secretary general. Both are almost the same age. Though, it is not clear why he has been kept as the Jamaat secretary general.
A frontline Jamaat leader seeking anonymity said the party policy makers are forming the new party fearing ban on Jamaat for being a party of war criminals. However, the main party Jamaat will not be dissolved. The new party will have the authority and influence of Jamaat. Keeping this in mind, Rafiqul Islam Khan will be kept in the important post of Jamaat, said the Jamaat leader.
A member of Jamaat’s central executive committee said there is difference of opinion over forming a new party and not dissolving Jamaat despite being banned. Some of the leaders think this will keep the opportunity to reorganise Jamaat if things are in favour again.
Sources also said, none of the Jamaat leaders aged above 60 will be kept in the new party. They will be part of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami only. However, they would not be doing politics anymore. These leaders would keep doing their dawaati (preaching) programmes secretly and work for the new party from behind the scenes. This will cleanse the party of the older generation’s stigma of their anti-independence stance in 1971.
A close observer of Jamaat’s politics and former secretary Shah Abdul Hannan told Prothom Alo on Friday night, “Jamaat is ready for any kind of situation as far as I know. However, they think that no law abiding democratic party could be banned. The government won’t do such thing.”
Competent sources in the Jamaat said that they run the organisational activities of the party through a four-point programme.
1. Dawat and Tablighi (purification of thoughts and reorganisation)
2. Organisation and training
3. Social work and reforms
4. Reforms and correction of the state
Basically, the point number four is the political outline of the Jamaat.
If the party is banned, the new political party BDP will implement this point.
Two top Jamaat leaders involved with the process of forming the new party, said that the leaders who are over 60 years old will secretly work on the first two points.
And, point number three (social work and reforms) will be carried out in the name of different like-minded professional and social organisations.
The process of banning Jamaat as a political party is also being carried out for its crimes against humanity committed during the liberation war in 1971.
Law minister Anisul Haque said Jamaat will be tried as a political organisation within March after the amendment of International Crimes Tribunals.
The process of forming a new party in place of Jamaat began around one and a half years ago, sources said.
After following a ‘go slow’ policy, Jamaat has recently intensified the process as the party was facing pressure from inside.
As the government and law enforcement agencies have been giving no breathing space to the party, a faction of Jamaat was planning to launch a social movement in the shape of Turkey’s ‘Gulen movement’.
Jamaat policymakers thus focussed on forming the new party, sources said.
Naib-e-ameer of Jamaat Mujibur Rahman told Prothom Alo on 22 November, 2014, “Jamaat was banned more than once in the past. We’re not at all worried about this. We have the experience of how to work in case of being banned.”
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