Islami Andolan Bangladesh Explained

Islami Andolan Bangladesh
Native Name:ইসলামী আন্দোলন বাংলাদেশ
Native Name Lang:bn
Colors: Green (official)
Golden (customary)
Flag:Hatpakha logo.jpg
Abbreviation:IAB
Islami Andolan
Founder:Fazlul Karim
President:Syed Rezaul Karim
Secretary General:Yunus Ahmad
Ideology:Islamism
Islamic democracy
Student Wing:Islami Chhatra Andolan Bangladesh[1] [2]
Youth Wing:Islami Jubo Andolan Bangladesh
Wing1:Islami Sramik Andolan Bangladesh
Wing1 Title:Labour wing
Position:Right-wing
Religion:Islam
Seats1 Title:Seats in
Jatiya Sangsad
Seats1:Parliament dissolved
Seats2 Title:Mayor in City Corporations
Seats2:Post dissolved
Seats3 Title:Councillor in
City Corporations
Seats4 Title:Chairmen in
District Councils
Seats5 Title:Chairmen in
Subdistrict Councils
Seats6 Title:Chairmen in
Union Councils
Headquarters:55/B Purana Paltan, Dhaka
Slogan:"Motto of freedom, Islamic constitutionalism"
(Bengali: মুক্তির মূলমন্ত্র, ইসলামী শাসনতন্ত্র)
Country:Bangladesh

Islami Andolan Bangladesh (Bengali: ইসলামী আন্দোলন বাংলাদেশ|lit=Islamic Movement of Bangladesh), abbreviated as IAB, is a major Islamist political party in Bangladesh.[3] It was founded in 1987 by Fazlul Karim as Islami Shashontantra Andolan (Islamic Constitutional Movement), and took its current name in 2008.[4]

The party maintains distance from both of the dominant parties in Bangladesh, Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party. In the recent years, the party has gradually done well in the local government elections. The number of votes of the party has increased also in the national polls.[5]

History

Late Maulana Syed Muhammad Fazlul Karim, pir of Charmanai, established the party on 13 March 1987. Its founder late Fazlul Karim was a popular and well accepted figure all over the country. He set up organisational units in all the 64 districts. Since then, unlike other Islamist parties, IAB has been mobilizing its organisational capacity across the country.[6]

Policies

Religious

The party has campaigned in favour of a blasphemy law and organised rallies in support for a restoration of the caretaker government of Bangladesh,[7] as well as demanding punishment of former government minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui for his comments criticizing Hajj and Muhammad.[8]

It has submitted a memorandum to the United Nations demanding an end to the violence in Rakhine state of Myanmar.[9] Prior to departing Baitul Mukarram, party leaders Mufti Syed Rezaul Karim had delivered speeches condemning the atrocities against the Rohingya in Myanmar. In 2019, hundreds of activists of Islami Andolan Bangladesh gathered at the north gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque after Jumah prayers and demonstrated in Dhaka's Baitul Mukarram National Mosque area on Friday, protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) in India. They chanted slogan: "No CAB, no NRC, and stop torturing Muslims in India! Where is humanity?"[10]

IAB announced to lay siege to the Prime Minister's Office on 25 April 2017 demanding arrest of "atheist bloggers who insulted Islam" and to pass law for punishing those who "insulted Islam in the parliament".[11]

The party was more outspoken than any other party during the 2024 Bangladesh textbook tearing controversy, it called for a boycott of Aarong and BRAC university as part of the anti-transformation protest.[12] [13]

Political

It has rejected proposals of both Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party regarding the election-time government, saying the proposals are defective and cannot resolve the ongoing political crisis. It urged the government to dissolve the parliament and hand over the power to a neutral caretaker government for holding a credible election.[14] Terming the recently-held local government polls unfair, IAB Amir Sayed Rezaul Karim said, "People could have seen the genuine face of the party's popularity had there been fair polls." Commenting on politics of ballot, the IAB Amir said, "People want freedom from the incumbent oppressive and autocratic ruler. In their frantic search for a peaceful society, the people are not being able to find out any alternative solution. That's why they are stretching their hands to an Islamist party like us. They are joining the islamist movement by growing day by day. People are showing more interest to IAB as they found no alternative."[6]

Election results

In the 2018 Bangladesh general elections, the Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) has bagged the third highest number of votes, following Awami League-led Grand Alliance and BNP-led Jatiya Oikya Front.[15]

IAB's performances in several city corporation polls held recently show a sharp rise in number of votes bagged by the party candidates. In the 2023 Khulna City Corporation election, the party candidate got more votes than Jatiya Party (Ershad), the sitting opposition in the parliament, securing third position with 14,363 votes while JaPa's runner got 1,500 votes. IAB also secured the third-highest number of ballots in 2020 Dhaka South City Corporation election and 2020 Dhaka North City Corporation election, 2022 Narayanganj City Corporation election, and 2022 Rangpur City Corporation election.[6]

Jatiya Sangsad elections

ElectionParty leaderVotes%Seats+/–PositionGovernment
Jun 1996Syed Fazlul Karim11,1590.03%New 19th
20015,9440.01% 0 17th
2008Syed Rezaul Karim658,2540.94% 0 5th
2014Boycotted 0
20181,255,3731.47% 0 4th
2024Boycotted 0

Leaders

Secretary-General

Honorific Prefix:Mawlana, Principal
Yunus Ahmad
Birth Place:Maishaghuni, Khulna
Birth Date:1957 7, df=yes
Nationality:Bangladeshi
Office:Secretary General, Islami Andolan Bangladesh
Termstart:2008
Country:Bangladesh
Party:Islami Andolan Bangladesh
Module:
Embed:yes
Disciple Of:Syed Fazlul Karim
Other Name:Pir Saheb Khulna
Mother:Sakina
Father:Muslim Uddin
Movement:Deobandi
Jurisprudence:Hanafi
Denomination:Sunni

Yunus Ahmad (born 16 July 1957) is serving as the secretary general of Islami Andolan Bangladesh.[16] He was born on July 16, 1957, in Maishaghuni village of Khulna district. His father Muslim Uddin and mother Sakina. His education start from JBM Primary School. He then passed secondary school from Belfulia High School. In 1973 he was admitted to Khulna City College. In 1974 he passed his HSC from Khulna Bangabandhu Degree College and moved to Jamia Rashidiya Islamia Charmonai and started memorizing Quran. After completing the memorization of Quran under the supervision of Hafez Nuruzzaman, he passed Dakhil from Anandnagar Nesaria Madrasa in 1981, Alim from Jugihati Aminya Madrasa in 1983, Fazil in 1985 and Kamil from Khulna Alia in 1987. He started practicing tasawwuf by taking bay'at from Syed Fazlul Karim. On November 17, 1998, he received the caliphate from him.[17] His career began at JBM Hafizia Madrasa. Later he taught for some time at Deyara Hafizia Madrasah. In 1996, he took charge of the Principal of Jamia Rashidiya Goalkhali Adarsh Cadet Scheme Madrasah. He was in charge till 2002. Currently he is teaching Hadith in Dhaka Kadmatli Jamia Islamia Fazlul Uloom Madrasa. He joined Muhammadullah Hafezzi's repentance politics in 1981 at the suggestion of Syed Fazlul Karim. He served as the general secretary of the Bangladesh Mujahid Committee, Khulna district branch. He was associated with the Islami Andolan Bangladesh since its inception. In 2008, he was elected as the general secretary of this party.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Islami Shasantantra Chhatra Andolan —. en.iscabd.org.
  2. Web site: http://www.iscabd.org/history/ . bn:ইসলামী শাসনতন্ত্র ছাত্র আন্দোলন (১৯৯১-২০১৬) . Islamic Constitution Student Movement (1991-2016) . Islami Shashantanra Chhatra Andolan . bn.
  3. News: Islami Andolan musters 3rd highest votes. Dhaka Tribune.
  4. Book: Riaz . Ali . Ali Riaz . Ali Ar Raji . Khandakar . Who are the Islamists? . 2011 . Riaz . Ali . Fair . C. Christine . Political Islam and Governance in Bangladesh . https://books.google.com/books?id=SpFaBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA56 . Routledge . 56 . 978-0-415-57673-4.
  5. News: Islami Andolon: Silent rise in 'vote politics' . dailyasianage.com . 19 May 2018.
  6. News: Silent rise of Islami Andolan Bangladesh in ballot-politic . banglatribune.com . 19 May 2018.
  7. Web site: Kenny. Peter. Killing of Bangladesh bloggers critical of religious extremism reviles UN rights experts. Ecumenical News. 29 June 2015. 13 May 2015.
  8. News: Islamist party demands punishment for Latif Siddique. 29 June 2015. bdnews24.com. 5 January 2014.
  9. News: Islami Andolon: Those killing Rohingya in Myanmar are not followers of any religion . Dhaka Tribune . 13 November 2017.
  10. https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2019/12/28/islami-andolon-bangladesh-stages-demonstration-against-cab-nrc Islami Andolon demonstrates in Dhaka against India's CAA, NRC
  11. News: Islami Andolon to lay siege to PMO April 25. The Daily Star.
  12. Web site: Inclusion of transgender rights chapter in Bangladesh school textbooks sparks debate. Benar News.
  13. Web site: Outrage at Mahtab's Dismissal: Students close B....
  14. News: Islami Andolan rejects proposals of Hasina, Khaleda . The Daily Star . 24 October 2013.
  15. News: Islami Andolan bagged 3rd Highest vote in Bangladesh . Dhaka Tribune.
  16. News: bn:ফের ইসলামী আন্দোলনের আমির চরমোনাই পীর . https://www.banglatribune.com/politics/other-politics/660278/%E0%A6%AB%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%80-%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%87-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%B0 . 2023-01-09 . Bangla Tribune . bn.
  17. News: Ahmad . Junaid . 24 February 2017 . হাফেজ মাওলানা অধ্যক্ষ ইউনুস আহমাদ (দা.বা.)-কে যেমন দেখেছি . Our Charmonai.