Dhaka, Aug 01 (V7N) - On Thursday, (August 01) the Bangladeshi government issued a ban on the organizational activities of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing, Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir. The Home Ministry's notification, effective immediately, cites a range of justifications for the ban.
 
The notification outlines that both Jamaat-e-Islami and Shibir have been implicated in crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, as confirmed by several International Crimes Tribunal verdicts. The Bangladesh Election Commission had previously nullified Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration as a political party, a decision upheld by both the High Court and the Appellate Division.
 
Recent evidence, according to the government, shows that Jamaat-e-Islami and Shibir have been involved in recent violence and terrorism, including actions related to the student quota reform movement. The government asserts that these organizations and their affiliates have been linked to acts of terrorism and disruptive activities.
 
Under Section 18(1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009, the government has classified both Jamaat-e-Islami and Shibir, along with their affiliates, as prohibited entities. The ban marks the second instance of such a measure against Jamaat-e-Islami, which was first banned in 1971 under Article 38 of the 1972 Constitution for its role in opposing Bangladesh's Liberation War and collaborating with the Pakistani army.
 
The party was re-established in 1976 following the repeal of Article 38, operating initially as part of the Islamic Democratic League before resuming activities under its original name. Jamaat-e-Islami gained political significance in subsequent decades, including participation in the 1991 elections and forming a coalition government with the BNP.
 
The latest ban comes amidst heightened tensions and allegations of Jamaat-e-Islami and Shibir's involvement in violent incidents connected to the recent student protests.
 
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