Bangladeshs Islamist social gathering tasks pressure with an enormous rally in Dhaka

Hundreds of 1000’s of supporters of Bangladesh’s largest Islamist social gathering rallied within the capital on Saturday (July 19, 2025) to point out their energy forward of elections anticipated subsequent yr, because the South Asian nation stands at a crossroads after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

An interim authorities headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus stated the subsequent election could be held in April however his administration didn’t rule out a chance of polls in February as strongly demanded by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies.

Jamaat-e-Islami, which had sided with Pakistan throughout Bangladesh’s struggle of independence in 1971, stated earlier it might mobilise 1 million folks on Saturday.

While Ms. Hasina was in energy from 2009 till she was toppled in student-led protests final yr and fled to India, high leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami had been both executed or jailed on fees of crimes towards humanity and different severe crimes in 1971. In late March in 1971 Pakistan’s navy had launched a violent crackdown on town of Dhaka, then a part of East Pakistan, to quell a rising nationalist motion looking for independence for what’s as we speak often known as Bangladesh.

The social gathering on Saturday positioned a seven-point demand to the Yunus-led administration to make sure a free, truthful and peaceable election, the trial of all mass killings, important reforms and proclamation and implementation of a constitution involving final yr’s mass rebellion. It additionally needs the introduction of a proportional illustration system within the election.

Thousands of supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami had spent the evening on the Dhaka University campus earlier than the rally. On Saturday morning, they continued to stream towards the Suhrawardy Udyan, a historic floor the place the Pakistani military had surrendered to a joint pressure of India and Bangladesh on Dec. 16 in 1971, ending the nine-month struggle.

“We are right here for a brand new Bangladesh the place Islam could be the guideline of governance, the place good and sincere folks will rule the nation, and there can be no corruption,” Iqbal Hossain, 40, advised The Associated Press. “We will sacrifice our lives, if needed, for this trigger.”

Many of the younger supporters of their 20s and 30s had been additionally current.

“Under Jamaat-e-Islami, this nation can have no discrimination. All folks can have their rights. Because we observe the trail of the holy e book, Quran,” Mohidul Morsalin Sayem, a 20-year-old pupil, stated. “If all of the Islamist events be part of fingers quickly, no person will be capable of take energy from us.”

It was the primary time the social gathering was allowed to carry a rally on this floor since 1971. To many, the choice signaled a shift supported by Yunus’ authorities through which Islamists are gaining momentum with additional fragmentation of Bangladesh’s politics and shrinking of liberal forces.

Hasina, whose father was the independence chief and the nation’s first president, is a fierce political rival of Jamaat-e-Islami. The social gathering is predicted to contest 300 parliamentary seats and is trying to forge alliances with different Islamist teams and events in hopes of turning into a 3rd pressure within the nation behind the BNP, headed by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and Hasina’s former ruling Awami League social gathering.

The social gathering had beforehand shared energy with the BNP, and it had two senior Cabinet members below Zia in 2001-2006. After Hasina was ousted, tensions grew between events over reforms agenda undertaken by the Yunus authorities, which is going through challenges to ascertain order within the nation.

The authorities has been criticized by Hasina’s social gathering and others for utilizing pressure in a confrontation with protesters in a Hasina stronghold on Wednesday, the place 4 folks died. Their households complained that authorities didn’t conduct autopsies and hurriedly buried or cremated their family. Autopsies are a part of an investigation in any violence. Yunus’ workplace stated the federal government was doing the whole lot lawfully in Gopalganj, the district the place the violence occurred.

Jamaat-e-Islami has now established shut ties with a brand new political social gathering shaped by college students who led the anti-Hasina rebellion. Both Jamaat-e-Islami and the scholars’ National Citizen Party additionally promote anti-India marketing campaign.

The Yunus-led administration has banned the Awami League and Hasina has been in exile in India since Aug. 5. She is going through fees of crimes towards humanity. The United Nations stated in February that as much as 1,400 folks might have been killed throughout the anti-Hasina rebellion in July-August final yr.