Has Jamaat fallen away from ongoing politics

Politics is in a tumultuous state in the country. Things are reaching a boiling point. The parties opposed to the government, including BNP, are holding programmes more or less every day to bring home their demand. Awami League and its allies are vocal too. They are announcing their counter programmes. The moment BNP floats a programme, Awami League comes up with one of its own on the same day. Left parties, right parties, moderate parties, Islamist parties, everyone is buzzing with programmes. But it is only Jamaat-e-Islami that is not in the political field. It is hard to determine specifically what side of the fence Jamaat lies.

Generally speaking, the common people see Jamaat as an Islamist party. But many within Jamaat do not want to admit this. They say Jamaat is not Islamist, it is an Islamic party. The difference between Islamist and Islamic is not quite clear. But one difference is Islamists staunchly follow the Sharia law, while Islamic parties are not so adamant about implementing the Sharia law. This is not the narrative from the top level of Jamaat, but at the grassroots many maintain that Jamaat is not Islamist, but an Islamic party.

This uncertainty at the grassroots over the stance of the party that has long carried out Islamist or religion-based politics, indicates that Jamaat itself is going through uncertain times. It is going through a sort  of identity crisis. There are differences and conflicts within Jamaat as to which trend of politics it will advance with in the changed circumstances -- hardline or moderate.

For a decade now, Jamaat hasn't been out in the open with its politics. After its top leaders were hanged on charges of complicity with war crimes, the party gradually was sidelined. It failed to play any significant role in politics. Perhaps it is in continuity of that the Jamaat has no sort of visible involvement in the movement for elections under a caretaker government, being carried out by the opposition political parties.

In June, however, Jamaat did hold a gathering at the Engineers Institution in Dhaka and announced its comeback in politics. They drew attention and criticism for presenting flowers to the police before their event. Many within the party, who have been victims of police repression and oppression, were none too pleased with this presenting of flowers to the police. But this gathering took the parties confidence to such a height, that they declared they would not join hands with BNP in a simultaneous anti-government movement. They said they were no longer with BNP. They would carry out anti-government programmes on their own accord. And they announced their programmes accordingly.

It does not seem, however, that Jamaat has gained much by its strategy of presenting the police with flowers or side-stepping BNP. After Dhaka, they have not been given permission to carry out any gatherings or rally anywhere else. They had approached the police for permission to hold events in Sylhet, Cumilla and Chattogram, but the flowers didn't melt the police's heart. In other words, Jamaat was refused permission. In a latest attempt, they sought permission for a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan, but were refused.

But on the last day of last month, Jamaat held protest rallies in various districts and cities without police permission. It is possible to hold processions without police permission. The procession can rapidly disperse and slip behind the scenes. But it is difficult to hold a rally without police permission. And Jamaat is not in the position to be able to hold a public gathering without police permission.

Jamaat has possibly fallen into a trap of erroneous politics. Historically speaking, Jamaat politics has failed to take time into account. In our politics, Jamaat has always come up to a critical crossroad and then falls to one side due to wrong decisions.

During our great war of independence in 1971, Jamaat was not on the side of the people. That is why more than being an Islamist party or a religion-based party, Jamaat is regarded by the people as an anti-independence party.

Jamaat considers Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood or its affiliated organisations in various countries as its brother-organisations. But the Arab Islamists have always practised nationalist and anti-colonial politics. And here Jamaat has always overlooked the sentiments of the people and stood in favour of imperialist and colonial forces.

Jamaat does not seem to have managed to break away from such erroneous politics. That is why even this time round they are unable to make clear their stand concerning a free and fair election. Even though Jamaat has repeatedly been saying they will not join any election under this government and that they have not come to any sort of understanding or compromise with the government, there are speculations that it was due to compromise that they were given permission for their programme in June at Engineers Institution. Interestingly, Jamaat did not use the names or pictures of their convicted leaders. As far as it has been learnt, Jamaat was given permission for its rally on condition that they do not mention the names of their convicted leaders.

The question is, if a compromise had been reached, why was Jamaat not given permission anymore? Giving permission to Jamaat for the Engineers Institution programme was possibly a part of Awami League's politics. After Jamaat got the permission for the gathering and after it presented flowers to the police, speculations ran rife that Jamaat had established a link with the government. This increased suspicion and mistrust in the anti-government camp about Jamaat.

In the meantime, Jamaat became overly confident after this event. Even without having registration or any election symbol, the party leaders during the qurbani Eid holidays, went around various constituencies, exchanging greetings with the people and campaigning. Jamaat perhaps hoped, or had been given assurance, that their registration and symbol would be restored and so began their election campaign while the opposition movement was in full swing. Yet the very future of the next election is still uncertain. It is still not clear if the election will be held with the inclusion of all or whether Awami League will acquiesce to the non-party government demand. And yet this party which has no registration, has been churning out campaign posters, greeting the people. This can certain be regarded as a bizarre display of extreme over confidence.

As Jamaat is not in an alliance with BNP, BNP is not even asking them to join the movement. BNP was not by their side in their hard times. They are using these arguments to explain why they are not with BNP in its movement. Their over confidence probably spurred them on to take this stand. It is quite natural that a distance may have grown with BNP. Such things happen among political parties. But what is the reason not to be part of the demand for the holding of a free, fair and neutral election?

Jamaat apparently is not getting the scope to carry out politics alone. But not aligning with the opposition political parties, they have become quite isolated from the country's political scene. It has gradually become a lone party. There is no one with Jamaat now. Whether it is out of anger, hurt or strategy, the fact remains that Jamaat has organisationally fallen to one side in the ongoing politics of the country.

* Dr Maruf Mullick is a writer and political analyst

* This column appeared in the print an online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten for the English edition by Ayesha Kabir