Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is a far-right and the largest Islamist political party in Bangladesh. It emerged from the East Pakistani wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan in 1979. It is one of the two contemporary mainstream political parties in the country, alongside the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

The origin of the party lies in the Jamaat-e-Islami movement founded by Abul A'la Maududi in 1941 in British India. Its predecessor, Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, though actively participating in the pro-democracy movements of East Pakistan, opposed the independence of Bangladesh. The party supported Pakistan during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, organized several pro-Pakistan groups, and participated in the mass killings of civilians and other mass atrocities. Following the independence of Bangladesh, the party was banned by the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's government, but was subsequently lifted under Ziaur Rahman, allowing the modern party to be formed on 27 May 1979. The party actively participated in the anti-Hussain Muhammad Ershad and the pro-caretaker government movements. Two of its leaders served in the BNP's coalition government between 2001 and 2006. During the second premiership of Sheikh Hasina, Jamaat-e-Islami's registration was cancelled and its leaders were prosecuted by the International Crimes Tribunal for war crimes of 1971. Her government also again banned the party for supporting the anti-government mass uprising in 2024. Following the resignation of Sheikh Hasina, its ban was lifted by the interim government and its registration was reinstated. Since 2026, it has been the main opposition in the Jatiya Sangsad.

Traditionally, the party is guided by the Maududi's vision for a totalitarian Islamic state. The party has since sought to portray itself reformist. The party supports a welfarist economy, and runs charity programmes. The party is controversial for its role in the Liberation War, ideological links to Islamic extremism, human rights abuses, and contradictory positions on women and sharia. Shafiqur Rahman has been serving as the ameer (leader) and Mia Golam Parwar has been serving as the secretary-general of the party since 2019. The party maintains a network of affiliated organizations, including the Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir.