THE much-anticipated election results in Bangladesh are out, with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) securing 209 seats, while the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) won 68. The scale of the win must come as a surprise to observers, given the expectations of a tighter race and an outright win for Jamaat-e-Islami.
The keenly watched elections in Bangladesh were important, not just for the country but for the region as a whole. At the centre of this was the anticipated performance of the Jamaat-e-Islami. The Islamist party had gained prominence after aligning itself with protestors’ demands during the 2024 uprising that ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Her Awami League, which ruled for 15 years, has since been barred from political activities.
Jamaat-e-Islami led an alliance into the polls that included the National Citizen Party (NCP), formed by youth activists who were instrumental in toppling Hasina. Though defeated, Jamaat-e-Islami secured its highest-ever tally of 70 seats, positioning itself as what analysts describe as a “very robust opposition” capable of influencing future parliamentary debate.
Yet, despite Jamaat-e-Islami projecting itself as a vehicle for change, voters ultimately placed their trust in the BNP – a party rooted in Bangladesh’s political establishment.
The Jamaat-e-Islami, has a very strong organisational structure, which is better than that of the BNP and is just next to that of the erstwhile Awami League.
While India, which has historical ties with Bangladesh and its people, will engage with whoever wins the election, a Jamaat win is bound to involve very different calculations for New Delhi. Historically, Jamaat has been seen to be pro-Pakistan, with several of its leaders executed after being tried by the International Crimes Tribunal for 1971 war crimes.
The BNP and JI had been alliance partners and ran Bangladesh from 2001 to 2006 with the former’s Khaleda Zia as the prime minister. Elections held in 2008 under a caretaker government saw the Awami League coming to power, and Hasina ruled until she was forced out in 2024.
The Jamaat-e-Islami has been rooting for reforms in Bangladesh’s electoral processes before the general elections were conducted. Perhaps it sensed a shift in the voter sentiment, with crucial BNP voters like moderate Islamists, a section of freedom fighter families and the business class moving away from the Khaleda Zia-led party.
The Jamaat was barred from elections in 2014 and a full ban on it was imposed by the Hasina regime on August 1, 2024, as it battled for survival.
People not following Bangladesh’s politics might have discounted Jamaat-e-Islami in favour of the BNP. There are reasons to do so. The Jamaat secured just 4.28% of the votes in the 2008 election, the last free and fair poll Bangladesh witnessed. The maximum vote share it saw was 6.03% in 1970.
Cause of Concern for India
However, there is a new political reality to be considered in Bangladesh. The last phase of the Hasina government, especially after 2021, saw a rise in anti-India sentiments and of pro-Pakistan elements. Moreover, fundamentalists and Islamists have been given a free run in the Yunus-led caretaker set-up.
The last BNP-Jamaat government (2001-2006) was a security nightmare for India. “Jihadi” elements used the Bangladeshi soil for anti-India activities. Then home minister Lutfozzaman Babar was arrested by the military-backed caretaker government in 2007, and sentenced to 10 years in jail for possession of illegal firearms.
Jamaat-e-Islami’s Legacy
The Jamaat-e-Islami, which is erroneously described as a Deobandi Islamist party, is not in any manner related to the venerable Darul Uloom, Deoband of India and thus cannot be described as a Deobandi organisation.
In fact, Jamaat-e-Islami of Bangladesh owes its origins and philosophical leanings to the Jamaat-e Islami of Pakistan, which was founded by Maulana Abul Ala Maududi.
Maulana Maududi (25 September 1903 – 22 September 1979) was a prominent Islamic scholar, theologian, political philosopher, and activist from British India, later based in Pakistan. He founded the Jamaat-e-Islami, in 1941, which sought to promote an Islamic state governed by Shariah law.
Maulana Maududi studied Islamic theology at various institutions in Hyderabad and became deeply engaged with modern philosophy and Western thought, which shaped his critique of modernity. He spent years in prison under various regimes for his political activities and writings, including a death sentence (later commuted) for criticising the Ahmadiyya community.
Maulana Maududi played a significant role in shaping political Islam in South Asia. He opposed the partition of India but later focused on making Pakistan an Islamic state. His ideals about establishing a true Islamic state found some resonance among his followers in Pakistan and more so in Bangladesh.
While Jamaat-e Islami-Pakistan and Jamaat-e Islami-Bangladesh share a foundational ideology and historical lineage, they differ significantly in their political integration, state relations, and engagement with violence. The JI in Pakistan operates as a mainstream political player within a Muslim-majority state, whereas JI in Bangladesh has been marginalised, banned, and branded a terrorist entity due to its wartime collaboration and alleged links to extremism. Their paths reflect the divergent political and historical journeys of Pakistan and Bangladesh.
In contrast, Jamat-e Islami – India, is the largest party of educated Muslims, and does not advocate these ideals. Though it follows and endorses the religious teachings of Maulana Maududi, it does not subscribe to most of his political philosophy. This might be due to the Indian syncretical values and cultural ethos. Thus, it would be prudent not to club the Indian JI with the JI of Bangladesh.
With Jamaat-e Islami being a major partner of the new government to take over in Bangladesh on Tuesday (February 17), India needs to be cautious of its neighbouring country’s domestic, foreign and defence policies. With its track record of rousing anti-India sentiments in Bangladesh, India would need to counter this threat pragmatically by engaging with moderate elements of the ruling BNP and its leader Tarique Rehman, who has given a positive signal to engage proactively with India by inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to his swearing-in ceremony in Dhaka.
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Asad Mirza is a New Delhi-based senior commentator on national, international, defence and strategic affairs. The views expressed here are the author’s own and Clarion India does not necessarily share or subscribe to them.
Cover photo: Shafiqur Rahman, the Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, attends a press conference following the 13th general election in Dhaka, Bangladesh on February 12, 2026. – Reuters
