Mia Golam Parwar
On June 25, 2025, JeI Amir (chief) Shafiqur Rahman offered an unconditional apology for all "mistakes and misdeeds" committed by the party since 1947, including during the 1971 Liberation War. Rahman declared,
Not only in 1971, but from 1947 to today, if anyone has been harmed by us, I have sought unconditional apology from all those people… Just as people can make mistakes, a group of people can also have wrong decisions. History will determine which is wrong and which is right. What is called wrong today may be proven to be the biggest right tomorrow… We are not above mistakes. People can suffer and be harmed in various ways by us, by our colleagues. I have apologized for everything without imposing any conditions.
On June 24, 2025, the Election Commission (EC) reinstated the registration of JeI, along with its electoral symbol Daripalla (balance scale). An official gazette notification was issued in this regard, signed by EC's Senior Secretary, Akhtar Ahmed.
On June 20, 2025, JeI secretary general Mia Golam Parwar announced that a kind of agreement between the Islamic parties of the country had been arrived at, and the Islamic parties will have a ballot box in the next election.
On June 18, 2025, JeI completed its primary selection of candidates in all 300 constituencies across the country, and is now holding discussions with some political parties to form an election alliance.
On June 1, 2025, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) cleared the way for JeI to get back its registration with the EC, as a political party. Following an appeal filed by JeI, the SC scrapped a 2013 High Court verdict that had declared JeI’s registration illegal.
According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), since November 2024, 118 persons were injured in 12 incidents of JeI-ICS related violence (data till July 6, 2025). These incidents mainly include clashes between JeI and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), the student wing of the JeI, has been linked to many cases where its cadres were involved in creating unrest and in vandalism, especially with the BNP and its student wing, i.e. Chatra Dal.
JeI was founded on August 26, 1941, under the leadership of Maulana Syed Abul Ala Maududi in the Islamia Park of Lahore in undivided India. He led the organisation until 1972. Initially, JeI was headquartered in the Sarai Meer area of Azamgarh District in Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) and eventually shifted to New Delhi in 1960 after many changes of place. Later, after the Partition of India in 1947, the party was divided into Jamat-e-Islami Hind and JeI Pakistan. JeI started its activities in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) during the 1950s. Bangladesh JeI, alongside the Pakistani Army, fought to eliminate various freedom fighters as they perceived them as an obstacle in achieving the caliphate (revival of the single pan-Islamic state). Jamaat believes in the idea of an Islamic state. The party was established to reform society according to faith in the ideas of the Prophet Muhammad. JeI sees Islam as a universal religion, hence it has not been concerned with national boundaries.
The JeI in Bangladesh emerged as a major player after 1979, and had become notorious in Bangladesh for collaborating with the Pakistani Army during the Liberation struggle of 1971, to participate in brutal crimes against civilians. JeI has been trying to erase this image of being accused of war crimes, and transform itself into a legitimate political party, for which it has systematically influenced the whole political system, starting with the education system, by a massive programme of madrasa education. JeI influence has remained unchecked due to the reliance of the BNP on Jamaat for support, which eventually enabled JeI to restore all political and administrative activities.
The Current Leadership of JeI Bangladesh includes Shafiqur Rahman in the position of Ameer (Chief), Mia Golam Parwar as Secretary General, Hamidur Rahman Azad as assistant secretary general and Dr. Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher in the position of Nayeb-e-Ameer(Deputy Chief). Another major leader of JeI is ATM Azharul Islam, whose acquittal has been questioned; when he was arrested, he served as the then Assistant Secretary General of JeI and was accused of six counts of crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War in the Rangpur region, including genocide, murder, abduction, rape, detention, torture, grievous injury, looting, and arson. With the acquittal of death row convict Azharul Islam on May 27, 2025, the ‘normalisation’ of JeI in the Bangladesh political scenario is complete.
JeI was banned from taking part in national elections in 2013, as the EC cancelled its registration, and the High Court ruled that the party’s constitution violated the national constitution by opposing secularism. In 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court decision, sealing off the long legal battle and barring the party from participating in elections or using party symbols. On June 1, 2025, however, JeI got its registration with the EC back and its electoral symbol, Daripalla (balance scale), was reinstated on June 24, 2025.
JeI heavily influences the current politics of Bangladesh, particularly through its disproportionate influence on the education system. JeI works to foster Islamic values in the lives of civilians of Bangladesh and seeks to gain political power so that it can set up an Islamic government in its favour. The party worked with both the Awami League in 1986 and from 1995 to 1996, as well as with the BNP, the main opposition party in the nation, to retain political prominence in Bangladesh, despite the bans.
On March 9, 2025, Shafiqur Rahman declared that, if JeI comes to power, the first thing it will do is reform the education system. Shafiqur Rahman observed, “Jamaat will take the initiative to develop moral education. If God gives us the responsibility of running the country one day, it is God's will. If we come to power, imbued with the love of the people, then our first responsibility will be to reform education.”
With steady gains in power, JeI is becoming visible on various platforms, attending meetings such as Shafiqur Rahman and Nayeb-e-Amir(Deputy Chief) Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher’s engagement with Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman on May 24, 2025, at the Dhaka Cantonment.
On January 28 2025, BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi expressed the opinion that JeI had gained control over several Ministries and public institutions, raising the question of whether the Interim Government should be considered as supported by JeI.
On June 25, 2025, JeI’s assistant secretary general Hamidur Rahman Azad, at a briefing after meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, demanded local elections before the national elections.
On April 22, 2025, the withdrawal of 241 pending 'political' cases filed against BNP and JeI leaders and activists during the previous Government's tenure began in Bogra District.
After drastic political changes, from being banned from all political activity, JeI has evolved into a centre of national influence. An increase in JeI’s political presence is visible from the party’s interaction with many envoys and representatives from different countries and organisations, especially after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Commencing February 2025, there have been a number of notable exchanges between JeI and diplomatic envoys from different countries, reflecting improving global acceptance.
JeI and its leadership, particularly Shafiqur Rahman, engaged in a series of high-profile diplomatic and political meetings in Dhaka as well as abroad. These interactions included foreign diplomats, international human rights representatives, and leaders of major Bangladeshi political parties. The engagements began with courtesy a visits from the Pakistani High Commissioner Syed Ahmed Maroof who called on the JeI chief on February 11, 2025. UK High Commissioner, Sarah Cooke, held meetings with JeI leaders twice, on March 11, 2025, and May 19, 2025. On April 13, 2025, Shafiqur Rahman met BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in London, followed by separate meetings with a U.S. delegation led by Deputy Assistant Secretary Nicole Ann Chulick on April 16, 2025; and European Union (EU) Ambassador Michael Miller on April 27, 2025. On the same day, JeI proposed the idea of an independent Muslim state in Myanmar’s Rohingya-majority Arakan State to a visiting Chinese Communist Party (CCP) delegation.
Further diplomatic engagements followed in May 2025, starting from a meeting between JeI Deputy Chief Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher and Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen on May 6, 2025. Taher, along with JeI official Matiur Rahman Akand, attended Russia’s National Day celebration on May 12, 2025, on invitation from the Russian Ambassador in Dhaka.
In June 2025, JeI met with representatives from international human rights NGOs on June 16, 2025, followed by a meeting with Matthew Behr, head of the US Embassy’s political wing, on June 17, 2025, discussing party democracy, rights of women and minorities. JeI also met with the Canadian High Commissioner on June 23, 2025, where they discussed Bangladesh’s state reform process and the next national election. JeI's chief also had a meeting with the German Ambassador on June 19, 2025, the Japanese Ambassador on June 22, 2025, and a second meeting with the EU Ambassador on June 24, 2025, in Dhaka.
While these high-profile occurred, JeI continued to issue strident anti-India statements, claiming that the Indian Government was behind a conspiracy to ‘exterminate’ Muslims. On the other hand, anti-Awami League statements were also made publicly, declaring that the people would not accept the Awami League, as it had also been supported by the Indian Government.
On the socio-political landscape, JeI has not evolved significantly; it still demands that the Government immediately scrap the "unacceptable and controversial" recommendations of the Women's Affairs Reform Commission, terming the recommendations "anti-Islamic and ideologically biased". JeI is trying to play safe by uniting all the Islamist parties to send their votes in “one box” to make sure Islamist values are well protected for their ultimate goal of building an Islamic community. Moreover, on April 23, 2025, addressing Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians, Shafiqur Rahman stated that they would be welcomed if they participate in the elections under the JeI banner.
JeI seeks to establish ‘Islamic rule’ in Bangladesh and believes that a true welfare state can only be achieved through such a system. The party has sought to whitewash its image systematically, taking part in various meetings across the country, whether these are related to the Reform Commission or a union of Islamist parties, to fulfil their goal of consolidating ‘Islamic unity’. Simultaneously, they are trying to keep up with envoys from different countries and interact with the CEC, the Army and the Chief Advisor.
JeI has already completed the primary selection of its candidates in all 300 constituencies across the country to contest the polls and is now holding discussions with some political parties to form an election alliance, as reported on June 18, 2025. With the ATM Azharul Islam’s acquittal and the announcement on March 19, 2025, by the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) that it has found no evidence of involvement of JeI chief Shafiqur Rahman and his son Rafat Chowdhury in militancy, after an investigation, the legal challenges to the party’s ascent have also faded away.
