No one knows the number of such parties and other organisations floated since withdrawal of the ban as neither the government nor the Election Commission (EC) has any accurate figures on them.

Government intelligence agencies' records however showed existence and activities of about 100 Islamic political parties and organisations since repeal of the ban while around 11 were active in between 1964 and 1971, sources said.

Of the existing parties and organisations apparently based on Islam, some have been identified as militant outfits. And the government has banned four of them -- Shahadat-e- Al Hiqma, Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh, Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh and Harkat-Ul Jihad -- during 2003 to 2005. Some organisations were accused of patronising the militant groups.

Thirty Islamic political parties and their different factions have contested parliamentary elections since 1979 with manifestos for establishing Islamic rule, EC statistics show.

In the 1979 parliamentary polls, the first one after withdrawal of the ban, two Islamic parties -- Muslim O Democratic League that also included Jamaat-e-Islami and Bangladesh Nezame Islam -- were among the contestants. The number of such parties remained the same in the 1986 election with Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and Bangladesh Muslim League participating in it.

But the number of Islamic parties rose to 18 in the parliamentary election on June 12 in 1996 while the total number of parties contesting the first parliamentary polls held in 1973 was 14.

No Islamic party could contest that election because of the ban.

Seventeen Islamic parties contested the 1991.parliamentary election. In the last election held in 2001, their number stood at 11 as some of them did not field candidates although they were allocated polls symbols.

Similarly, three Islamic parties--Jihad Party, Jatiya Islamic Dal and Khadem Party Zindabad -- did d not field any candidate in the 1991 parliamentary election despite getting election symbols.

Except Jamaat-e-Islami, the other Islamic parties together bag less than one per cent of the votes in the elections after resumption of parliamentary democracy following the fall of autocratic Ershad regime in 1990.

Along with the major political parties, most of the Islamic parties also boycotted the elections held in 1988 and on February 12 in 1996.

ISLAMIC PARTIES CONTESTING POLLS
The names of more than 30 Islamic parties are on election-related documents preserved by the EC. They contested elections after withdrawal of the ban.

The parties are --Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, Bangladesh Islami Front, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon, Bangladesh Krishak Raj Islami Party, Bangladesh Muslim League (Jamir Ali), Bangladesh Tanjimul Islam, Islami Al Zihad Dal, Islami Oikya Jote which is an alliance of seven parties, Islami Shashantantro Andolon, Islamic Dal, Zaker Party, Jamiate Ulumaye Islami Bangladesh, People's Muslim Party, Quran Sunna Bastabayan Party, Quran Darshan Sangstha Bangladesh, Tehrikya Ulama-e-Bangladesh, Islami Dal Bangladesh (Saifur), Bangladesh Inquilab Party, Bangladesh Islami Republican Party, Muslim People Party, Bangladesh Khelafat Party, Muslim League (Yousuf), Muslim League (Matin), Muslim League (Quader), Jamayate Ulamaye Islami Front.

NAMES OF OTHERS
The EC does not have any record of other Islamic parties and organisations since they have not contested any elections. But the names of Islamic organisations were recorded by government intelligence agencies when they (organisations) got involved in some activities.

Intelligence records show a large number of Islamic parties and organisations have been floated in Bangladesh, particularly after the ban was lifted.

In between 1964 and 1970, intelligence records claimed existence of 11 Islamic parties with various activities. These are Nezam-e- Islam, Jamaat-e- Islami, Muslim Affairs, Jamiyat-e- Ulama-e- Islam, Jamiat-e-Ahle Hadith, Islami Darodi Sangha, United Islamic Front, Islami Sangram Parishad, Islami Durmuz Party, Jatiya Mujaheed Sangha and Jamayat-e- Tabligue -e- Deen.

But since 1976, floating of such parties and organisations greatly increased. Intelligence agencies recorded the names of a large number of them over the last 29 years.

These include Islamic Democratic League, Young Muslim Society, Islami Oikya Andolan, Bangladesh Islami Mohila Mojlish, Muslim Shanti Parishad, Zikir Ul Dal Bangladesh, Bangladesh Muslim League, Islami Awami Party, Sorbadaliya Islami Sangram Parishad, Mojaheed Bahini, Bangladesh Muslim Jubo Sangha, Bangladesh Jatiya Olama Dal, Ittehadul Ullah, Islamic Revolution Council, Islami Sanghati Parishad, Nikhil Bangladesh Muslim League, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh (Jabbar), Islami Jatiya Oikya Jote, Islamic Republican Party, Al Qudds of Bangladesh, Islami Jubo Shibir, Bangladesh Olama Front, Muslim Akida Association, Idara-e- Hefazat-e-Islam, Islami Jukto Front, Bangladesh Islami Parishad, Hizbul Qurrah Bangladesh, Progatishil Islami, Muslim Millat Shariat, Islami Hukumat Bastabayan, Islami Shashantantra Andolan, Rabiat Al Alam Alah Alam, 27- party Islami Sanghati Jote, Islami Dawati Sangstha, Anjuman-e- Tahfuz-e- Arkan-e- Islam, Ahle Sunnatul Jamaat, Muslim Oikya League, Muhajer Qawmi Movement, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Jamiyate Hijbullah, Bangladesh Mujahedeen, Bangladesh Majlish-e- Islam, Bangladesh Islami Biplobi Andolan, Jatiya Olama Party, Bishaw Muslim Jubo Andolan, Islami Oikya Jote, Bishaw Muslim Biplobi Council, Olama Ekram Party, Khelafat Party, Tahfuz-e- Harmain, Bangladesh Khelafat Jubo Andolan, Islami Solidarity Party, Bangladesh Sunni Front, World Mulsim United Forum, Bangladesh Sufi Majlish, Olama Committee, Bangladesh Muslim Oikya Front, Islam O Rashtrodrohi Protirodh Morcha, Islami Sangram Parishad, Bangladesh Muslim Ganotantrik Dal, Harkatul Ansar group, Al Markajul Islam, Bangladesh Hijbut Tahrir, Iman Akida Sangrokkhan Committee, Hujbul Mahdi, Shahadat -e-Al Hiqma, Majlish-e- Dawat- ul- Haq, Khelafat-e-Rabbani Party, Khademul Islam Jamaat, Majlish-e-Tahaffuj-e-Khatm-e-Nabuat and Faraezi Jamaat.