Mohamed Fouz, Mohamed Zacky
(2024)
Syed Serajul Islam and Md. Saidul Islam. The Jamaat Question in Bangladesh: Islam, Politics and Society in Post-Democratic Nation. New York: Routledge, 2024. 278 pp. ISBN 9781032316383.
ISTACT JOURNAL OF AL-SHAJARA, 29 (2).
pp. 451-455.
ISSN ISSN 1394-6870EDITORIAL
Abstract
The student revolution in Bangladesh successfully ousted the authoritarian regime of Sheikh Hasina Wajid. However, the supporters of the old regime and its regional allies are still trying to manipulate the long-held fear of Jamaat-e-Islami to undermine the revolution's credibility and its goals. They argue that the revolution would allow the dominant Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, to come to power and transform the country into a theocratic state, which would be detrimental to minorities in the country (Mojumdar, A., 2024). Even during the revolution’s early days, the previous regime claimed that the revolution was a conspiracy orchestrated by Jamaat-e-Islami to overthrow the ruling secular government (Chaudhury, R., 2024). Although this claimgained little support after the revolution, fears surrounding the party/movement persist.. In this context, the book ‘The Jamaat Question’ published during the previous authoritarian regime, remains relevant as it helps us understand why and how Jamaat became a contentious issue in Bangladeshi intellectual and political circles as we witnessed a glimpse of it during and after the revolution. What makes the book even more intriguing is the central question it aims to address: how has Jamaat remained resilient despite significant repression, discrimination, and scrutiny from the ruling regime over the past 16 years? (p. 2). In addressing this driving question, the editors of the book, Serajul Islam and Md. Saidul Islam, did an impressive job of bringing experts on Bangladeshi politics and society to reflect on the history, evolution, changes, and impact of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh. The comprehensive coverage of themes in the book shows that it has succeeded in situating the movement within the broader socio-political and economic landscape of the country.
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