Bangladesh: Political history
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Jamaat I Islami
2023: SC upholds verdict banning it from elections
Bangladesh's highest court on November 19 dismissed an appeal by the country's largest Islamist party seeking to overturn a 2013 ruling that barred it from participating in elections for violating the constitutional provision of secularism Bangladesh is set to hold its next national elections on January 7.
A five-member bench of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan handed out the ruling. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami's main lawyer did not appear before the court due to “personal problems” and his petition, filed previously, seeking to postpone the hearing for six weeks was also rejected.
The High Court's decision 10 years ago canceled the party's registration with the Election Commission, thus stopping it from participating in elections or using party symbols. But it did not ban it from political particpation.
The ruling, at the time, came amid calls to ban the party for opposing the country's 1971 independence war against Pakistan. The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, after coming to power in 2009, sought to try Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami's top leaders for their role in acts of genocide and war crimes during the country's independence war. Some have been hanged or given life sentences since 2013.
“The verdict of the High Court has been upheld,” Tania Amir, a lawyer who stood against the Jamaat-e-Islami party, said Sunday. “If they [Jamaat-e-Islami] attempt any meetings, rallies or gatherings or identify their party as legal to any high commission, embassy, foreign agency or state, we are at liberty to bring a new charge of contempt of court against them and an injunction,” she said.
But Matiur Rahman Akanda, a lawyer for the party, said that the it would continue to be politically active.
“The court gave its opinion on whether the registration [with the Election Commission] will be upheld," he said, “there is no way to ban politics constitutionally.” There have long been multiple calls in Bangladesh by secular forces and others to ban the Islamist party, but the government hasn't complied.
The United States also considers it a moderate Islamist party.
Despite Sunday's decision by the High Court, it again remained unclear if Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami could continue its activities. Usually, the Ministry of Home Affairs is the entity that bans radical groups deemed as anti-state.
Jamaat-e-Islami has been a key partner to the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who has been the archrival of the current head of government, Ms. Hasina, for decades. The Islamist party and Zia shared power in 2001-2006 when the latter was the premier In January, Ms. Hasina will seek to return to power for a fourth consecutive term while Zia's party has threatened to boycott the polls. The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami says they also will boycott elections under Ms. Hasina.
YEAR-WISE DEVELOPMENTS
1991-2018
Sheikh Hasina vs. Khaleda Zia
From: January 2, 2019: The Times of India
See graphic:
Sheikh Hasina vs. Khaleda Zia, 1991-2018
2018
Court jails ex-PM Zia for five years
HIGHLIGHTS
Zia, 72, was sentenced in connection with embezzlement of 21 million takas ($252,000) in foreign donations.
In the same case, her son Tarique Rahman and four others have been sentenced to 10 years in jail.
Bangladesh's former Prime Minister and opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia was sentenced to five years in jail in a corruption case. Zia, 72, was sentenced by the Special Court-5 in the capital, Dhaka, in connection with embezzlement of 21 million takas ($252,000) in foreign donations meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust.
In the same case, her son Tarique Rahman and four others have been sentenced to 10 years in jail.
The ex-premier on November 30, 2014 lost her last ditch effort to evade the graft trial as the Supreme Court turned down her second 'leave to appeal' petition challenging her indictment and asked her to face trial in the lower court.
The high court earlier validated the trial in the lower court which on March 19, 2014 had indicted Zia on two graft charges brought by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The ACC alleged that the two charities, the other being the Zia Charitable Trust, existed only on paper and a huge amount of money was misappropriated in the name of the two organisations while Zia was premier during the BNP's 2001-2006 government.
Awami League wins 288/ 300 seats, Hasina gets 3rd straight term
Bangladesh’s ruling alliance won virtually every parliamentary seat in the country’s general election, according to official results released Monday, giving PM Sheikh Hasina a third straight term despite allegations of intimidation and the opposition disputing the outcome.
The coalition led by Hasina’s Awami League party won 288 out of 300 seats, or 96%, in Sunday’s polls. The opposition alliance led by lawyer Kamal Hossain won only seven seats. The opposition rejected the outcome, with Hossain calling the election “farcical” and demanding a new one be held under the authority of a “nonpartisan government”. But chief election commissioner K M Nurul Huda ruled out any revote, saying there were no reports of irregularities.
With Hasina’s thumping win, India plans to continue investing in Bangladesh to build on the growing economy of its neighbour and make it the linchpin of India’s Act East policy.
Victorious debut for ODI skipper Mortaza
Bangladesh ODI captain Mashrafe Mortaza, 35, has become the first active cricketer in the country to be elected as a lawmaker. The Awami League candidate for Narail-2 constituency got 2.7 lakh votes — 96% of votes cast— while the Jatiya Oikya Front alliance nominee managed barely 8,000.
Bangla ODI captain wins by a landslide
January 1, 2019: The Times of India
Bangladesh ODI captain Mashrafe Mortaza has registered a landslide victory in the 11th general elections, becoming the first active cricketer in the country to be elected as a lawmaker.
Mortaza, an Awami League candidate for Narail-2 constituency, got 274,418 votes while his rival Jatiya Oikya Front alliance nominee Fariduzzaman Farhad received 8,006 votes, according to the Election Commission.
The total number of votes in the Narail-2 constituency is 317, 844. Mortaza’s vote share amounts to over 96%, the Dhaka Tribune reported. The 35-year-old pacer, known as the ‘Narail Express’, is the second national cricket team captain after Naimur Rahman Durjoy to become an MP. He is the first active player to achieve the honour, the report said.
Mortaza filed his nomination last month. He became the first-ever sitting cricketer to try his luck in national politics. PM Sheikh Hasina’s ruling Awami League-led alliance swept to a landslide victory in the general elections.
