Dhaka: Bangladesh's caretaker government on Wednesday revoked a ban on the main Islamic party and its affiliated groups, saying it has not found evidence of their involvement in "terrorist activities", yet another example of the reversal of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's policies. Hasina had banned the Jamaat-e-Islami party on July 31 under an anti-terrorism law, blaming it for stoking deadly violence during student-led protests that culminated in her ouster.
The Jamaat-e-Islami had denied allegations that it stoked violence in the country and condemned the ban as "illegal, extrajudicial and unconstitutional". A notification issued by the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus said on Wednesday that there was "no specific evidence of involvement of Jamaat" and its affiliates "in terrorist activities".
The Islamic party had not been able to contest elections in Bangladesh after a court took away its registration in 2013, saying it conflicted with the country's secular constitution. A lawyer of the party has said it will file a petition early next week at the Supreme Court to seek restoration of its registration.
How can it impact ties with India?
The latest move by the caretaker government is likely to add to India's concerns. Under Sheikh Hasina, India-Bangladesh relations advanced in cross-border trade, transit arrangements, security collaboration and people-to-people exchanges. Since her ouster, India has been grappling with the possibility of the return of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), with whom its relations were far from smooth.
Under the BNP government, India faced challenges related to cross-border terrorism and repeatedly expressed concern over the activities of Islamist terrorist groups operating from Bangladesh when the BNP was in power. It is allied to the Jamaat-e-Islami, which has links to Pakistan's ISI and has sheltered radical and terrorist groups on Bangladeshi soil. As a result, terrorist activities saw an uptick, particularly in India's northeastern areas. The Jamaat-e-Islami is heavily pro-Pakistan and opposes India's political and economic balance in Bangladesh.
According to the Daily Star, some members of the Jamaat were found guilty of war crimes and actively engaging against Bangladesh's liberation forces in 1971. It joined forces with the Hasina-led Awami League to overthrow military rule, but later had a falling out with the government and became an ally of the BNP. The Jamaat is also responsible for the rise of anti-Hindu attacks in Bangladesh, causing resentment among the minorities.
What did Jamaat chief say on India-Bangladesh ties?
Jamaat-e-Islami supremo Shafiqur Rahman has said his party seeks harmonious and stable ties with India but asserted that New Delhi needs to reconsider its foreign policy in the neighbourhood, as bilateral relations do not entail interfering in each other’s internal issues. In an interview with news agency PTI, Rahman said his party also supports close relations with China and Pakistan to maintain stability, a red flag for future India-Bangladesh relations.
However, Rahman, 65, contended that New Delhi's perception of Jamaat-e-Islami as anti-India is mistaken, asserting that “Jamaat-e-Islami is not against any country; it is a wrong perception. We are pro-Bangladesh and are solely interested in safeguarding the interests of Bangladesh,” and emphasised that this perception needs to change.
"India is our neighbour, and we want a good, stable, and harmonious bilateral relationship. However, India has done a few things in the past that did not sit well with the people of Bangladesh. For instance, during the 2014 Bangladesh elections, a senior Indian diplomat visited Dhaka and dictated who should participate and who should not. This was unacceptable, as it is not the role of a neighbouring country. We believe India will eventually reevaluate its foreign policy concerning Bangladesh," he said.
Notably, Bangladesh recently freed Jashimuddin Rahmani, the chief of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist outfit, which is a major concern for India as the terrorist group is reportedly using sleeper cells in its attempts to create a network in the country. Rahmani was jailed for the murder of a blogger in 2013 and his outfit was outlawed in 2015 under Hasina's regime.
(with inputs from agencies)
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