The Bangladesh government has banned the opposition party Jamaat-e-Islami, accusing it of violent activities during the ongoing student-led protests demanding reform of government job quotas. The decision was made after the party's top leaders were tried for crimes committed during the 1971 war of independence.
The ruling Awami League government has accused Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing, Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, of violent attacks on government properties and accused them of being a "platform of militants". The party has been banned for the second time in independent Bangladesh, with the first ban being imposed in 1972 due to its "anti-liberation stance".
The party's head, Shafiqur Rahman, has condemned the ban and accused the government of "orchestrating violence" to stifle the student community's protests. A journalist and analyst, Shayan S Khan, believes that the ban will not benefit the Awami League politically and is instead intended to appease the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in New Delhi.
The student-led protest continues despite the Supreme Court's order to scale back job quotas, with the government accusing Jamaat-e-Islami and Shibir of being behind the violence. The opposition party has criticized the decision, saying it is poorly motivated and intended to shift public attention away from more pressing issues.
The ban on Jamaat-e-Islami is seen as a move by the government to consolidate its power and silence opposition voices. The party's popularity has diminished among the apolitical populace during the ongoing student-led protests, and the ban is seen as a way to appease the BJP and maintain its grip on power.
News ID : 3573