Jamaat VS Judiciary?

An international crimes tribunal on October 29 has handed down death penalty to Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami for crimes which include mass killing and rape and brutal murder of intellectuals during country's Liberation War in 1971. He was also sentenced to imprisonment for life each on four other charges of crimes against humanity he committed in 1971. He was president of Jamaat's student wing Islami Chhatra Sangha that turned into the Pakistan army's infamous auxiliary force Al-Badr during the Liberation War. He led the killing squad to thwart the birth of Bangladesh as an independent nation in the globe.

His party rejected the verdict delivered by the tribunal. Like him his party also strongly believed that what Nizami had done in 1971 was right. Neither Nizami nor his party has apologised for their misdeeds.

However, Jamaat did not remain silent by rejecting the verdict that awarded Nizami the death penalty. It enforced three days of countrywide hartal-- on Thursday, Sunday and Monday--to protest the verdict. On Sunday Jamaat announced hartal on Thursday too to protest another verdict delivered by the international crimes tribunal sentencing Jamaat leader Mir Quasem Ali to death. Jamaat also rejected the Supreme Court's verdict that upheld the death penalty of Jamaat leader Kamaruzzaman. The way Jamaat has enforced hartal from October 30 to November 6 has effectively paralysed the country's economy.   

This is not the first time that Jamaat has enforced hartals. It has been doing the same since 2013. It has already enforced a few dozen hartals. The most violent agitations the activists of Jamaat and Shibir staged was in February last year to protest the conviction of its leader Delwar Hossain Saydee. Around one hundred people including some members of law enforcement agencies were killed during the violent street agitation. Due to the Jamaat's violence, the BNP-led alliance's movement for restoration of the non-partisan election time government has failed to drum up people's support.  

By enforcing a series of hartals, Jamaat-e-Islami, in fact, has waged war in a different form against the judiciary. They want to thwart the trial of war criminals by holding the entire nation hostage. To achieve its goal, the party thinks it needs to create chaos and unrest in the country. Only a turbulent situation will offer the party some opportunities to achieve its goal.  

Immediately, after the country's independence politics of Jamaat and other Islamic parties was constitutionally banned. But the bloody changeover of August 15, 1975 changed the situation. Later, the constitutional ban was withdrawn, allowing Jamaat to resume its political activities. The street agitation against the autocratic ruler HM Ershad in 90s appeared as a blessing for Jamaat. The party did not waste the opportunity. It took to the streets along with the Awami League, BNP and other parties. It did not face any strong hurdle to demonstrate its strength in the streets against the Ershad regime. Jamaat again got the opportunity to consolidate its position in politics when the country plunged into a political crisis over the introduction of the caretaker government system in between 1994-96. At that time, Jamaat took to the streets along with the Awami League and Jatiya Party to force the then BNP-led government to introduce the caretaker government system. And before the 2001 parliamentary election, the Jamaat tied the knot with the BNP and got the taste of state power.

The BNP chief Khaleda Zia has recently announced that her party will start fresh agitations soon to force the Sheikh Hasina-led government to call for early parliamentary election under a non-partisan government. If Khaleda starts to deliver on her announcement, it will offer Jamaat, a key component of BNP-led alliance, to intensify street agitation under the political cover of the alliance.

When the BNP-led alliance starts street agitation, the government will of course use force to thwart it, which may put the two sides into a face off situation. The government needs to act carefully to keep the political situation under control. For this, the government must consider the ways to improve its relationship with the BNP for the greater interest of the nation.

The writer is Senior Reporter, The Daily Star.