Survival Strategies of Jamaat as a Religion-Based Political Opponent in Bangladesh

Abstract

In the 1971 liberation war, Jamaat collaborated with the Pakistani rulers for a united Pakistan. They became a symbol of razakars, collaborators, today a ruinous designation that has slowed their potential political progress considerably. The current Awami League government has successfully capitalized on the issue of liberation war as a trump card in Bangladesh politics and used it to undermine the opposition. Several top leaders of Jamaat have been executed for war crimes and the party is banned from participating in elections. In this context, Jamaat pursues several strategies in order to survive under the authoritarian AL regime. But in our interviews we only found an old-style focus on organizational reforms, electoral participation and dawah (outreach)-rather than anything innovative. The chapter suggests that the political future of Jamaat is not bleak but not very promising either. It will depend on the political opportunities created by and with the major political parties and on any collaboration with other religious groups.