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Ameer
of Jamaat-e-Islami in FAO Summit
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Ameer
of Jamaat-e-Islami Motiur Rahman Nizami is delivering
speech in the FAO summit held in Rome from 10th June
to 13th June, 2002
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Jamaat-e-Islami
Bangladesh is the third largest political party in Bangladesh. The
organisation has a unique position in Bangladesh politics because
of its practice of democracy inside the party, exercise of moral values
and constructive social works. The party is seen as the prime resistance
against sweeping erosion of values in Bangladeshi society. It operates
as the main factor in maintaining the country's excellent communal
harmony.
The objectives of Jamaat-e-Islami, as per its constitution, is to
establish peace in Bangladesh and in the world; to achieve grace of
the Almighty Allah through efforts to establish Islamic way of life
for the greater well being of mankind.
It has the following four-point programmes:
1. Purification of thoughts through Dawah and Tabligh
2. Organisation and training
3. Social reform and service
4. Reform in governance
From the early 1930s an attempt was made to float a political party
under the leadership of Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi with an object
of launching Islamic movement in India. Activities to that end began
from 1932 through a monthly journal Tarjuman al-Quran. Maulana Maududi
expressed his difference of opinion with the Muslim League's ideology
in his lecture on 'Way to Establish Islamic Hukumat' delivered at
Aligarh University in September 1940. In February 1941, a programme
was undertaken to hold a convention for launching a new political
party. Accordingly, in a meeting held in Lahore on 25 August 1941,
the Jamaat-e-Islami was established with Maulana Maududi as its ameer
or chairman.
The first convention of the party on all-India basis was held on 19-21
April 1945 at Pathankot in the Punjab. After the partition of India
in 1947 the party was divided into Jamaat-e-Islami Hind with headquarters
in Delhi and Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan with its central office in Lahore.
The central leadership of the All Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami was vested
upon Maulana Sayyid Abul ALA Maududi, the founder-ameer of the party.
The party was lead by Maulana Abdur Rahim in the erstwhile East Pakistan.
After the emergence of Bangladesh in 1971 the then government started
all-out campaign to root-out Islam from the society. It removed the
words like Islam and Muslim from the names of different institutions
and took-out Quranic verses from monogram of Dhaka University. Jamaat-e-Islami
was banned along with all other Islamic political parties. The party
continued operation secretly under the leadership of Mawlana Zakaria
(1972- 1973) Master Md. Shafiqullah (1973- 1974) Mawlana Abdul Khaleque
(1974- 1975).
In 1976, when the Islamic Democratic League (IDL) led by Mawlana Abdur
Rahim obtained permission from the government, the Jamaat activists
began to operate under the banner of IDL. Some Jamaat leaders contested
in the general elections of 1979 as nominees of the Democratic League,
and six of them were elected.
Professor Ghulam Azam came back from exile in 1978 and was elected
as the Ameer of the party. He was succeeded by Maulana Motiur Rahman
Nizami in 2000.
In 1979, the ban on religion-based political parties was withdrawn,
and thus Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh was revived. Maulana Abbas Ali
Khan was elected as acting ameer of Jamaat.
Jamaat-e-Islami vigorously participated in anti-Ershad movement along
with the 8-party alliance led by Awami League, 7-party alliance led
by BNP and 5-party alliance. The party secured 10 seats in the parliament
election held in 1986. During the movement against autocratic rule
of Hussain Muhammad Ershad the Jamaat members in the parliament resigned
on 3 December 1987, which added great force to the anti-autocracy
movement.
The movement of the alliances turned into mass upsurge at the end
of 1990. General Ershad was compelled to resign from the presidency,
and hand over power to the Caretaker Government headed by Justice
Shahabuddin Ahmed. Jamaat-e-Islami first presented the concept of
a Caretaker Government.
In the parliament elections of 1991, Jamaat contested in 35 constituencies
and secured 18 seats in the parliament. The party rendered its support
to BNP in forming the government but did not take part in the government.
In December 1991, Professor Ghulam Azam was elected ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami
following his citizenship declared valid by the High Court. Ghulam
Azam continued to hold this office till December 2000.
The Awami League started a movement for introducing caretaker government
system in 1994. Jamaat supported the movement. To intensify the movement
the Jamaat members of the parliament resigned in December 1994. In
the parliament elections held on 12 June 1996, the Jamaat could secure
only 3 seats. In December 2000, Professor Ghulam Azam resigned and
Mawlana Motiur Rahman Nizami was elected ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami
Bangladesh.
In the general elections held on 1 October 2001, the 4-party alliance
led by BNP secured more than two-thirds of the seats in the Jatiya
Sangsad, and the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, a partner of the alliance,
secured 17 seats. As a member of the alliance, Jamaat has been included
in the government of Begum Khaleda Zia with two of its members in
the cabinet.
Although it is generally known as a political party it has great contribution
in disciminating Islamic knowlegde through publishing numerous books
on Islamic subjects, establishing Islamic economic system by introducing
Islamic banking in the country, serving the distress by operating
a large number of hospitals and orphanages.
Contact Address and Phone Number:
Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh
504, Elephant Road
Bara Maghbazar
Dhaka - 1217
Bangladesh
Phone: +88-02-9331581, +88-02-9331259
Fax: +88-02-8312997
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