On Wednesday, Bangladesh’s new authorities lifted the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest Islamist party. They reversed the previous ban, which had been imposed on August 1, 2024, during the final days of Sheikh Hasina’s rule.
The government announced, “We have canceled the previous order of August 1, 2024, that banned Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami. This decision is effective immediately.” Jamaat-e-Islami had faced several restrictions in recent years, including bans on participating in elections in 2014, 2018, and again in January 2024. Hasina won her fifth term in these elections, which faced accusations of fraud and lacked a credible opposition.
The authorities imposed the ban under an anti-terrorism act just days before Hasina was removed from power. She fled to India by helicopter after weeks of student-led protests.
Jamaat-e-Islami, with millions of supporters across Bangladesh, had previously been prohibited from contesting elections in 2013. The high court ruled that its charter violated the secular nature of the nation’s constitution. The recent decision to lift the ban also applies to the party’s student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir.
The government lifted the ban due to a lack of “specific evidence of involvement with terrorism and violence.” Jamaat-e-Islami remains a major political force in Bangladesh, alongside the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
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It is unclear how much influence Hasina’s former party, the Awami League, still holds in the current political climate. The lifting of the ban could lead to significant changes in the country’s political dynamics.