Dhaka: Although Bangladesh’s radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami signals when convenient that it will not implement Shariah if it comes to power, its leaders, including candidates for the February 12 general elections–openly advocate establishing Shariah law on television talk shows. Similarly, at the grassroots level, mid, lower-tier leaders and workers promote voting for the Jamaat electoral symbol ‘daripalla’ (balance scale) symbol as a religious duty, while some even present it as a “ticket to paradise”, a report said on Wednesday.
According to a report in leading Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo, this highlights a clear contradiction: while Jamaat signals it will not implement Shariah, the Shariah narrative continues to be actively promoted on the ground.
“Politically, Jamaat-e-Islami finds itself in a profound dilemma. Because the word ‘Islam’ is embedded in its name, and because it has long campaigned under the slogan ‘We want Allah’s law’, a section of its core supporters votes for Jamaat precisely in the hope of establishing Islamic Shariah. At the same time, Jamaat appears to understand that pursuing state power makes the politics of Shariah implementation counterproductive to that objective,” it mentioned.
The report stressed that this reflects the “strategic ambiguity”, an approach Jamaat has adopted as the election draws near. Rather than clarifying its position, it said, Jamaat seeks to maintain both narratives simultaneously — a practice that should not be acceptable.
“Voting for Jamaat instead of the BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) is not the same as voting for the BNP instead of the Awami League, or vice versa. There are fundamental ideological differences at stake. Jamaat’s ameer must publicly and unequivocally state whether Jamaat-e-Islami will implement Islamic Shariah if it comes to power. If so, he must also present a clear framework for what that Shariah would entail,” the report mentioned
It emphasised that if Jamaat or any other “Islamic” party in Bangladesh announces plans to establish Shariah, the question naturally arises as to whether such a party retains the right to participate in politics under the country’s existing constitution.
The report further noted, “With the election approaching, Jamaat must urgently clarify its stance on Shariah and enable voters to make an ‘informed decision’ when exercising their franchise. Jamaat’s top leadership should recognise that its strategic ambiguity on this issue directly contradicts its much-publicised slogan, ‘We want the rule of honest people’, and amounts, quite plainly, to duplicity (munafiqi, in religious terms).”