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OPINION DECEMBER 11, 2020 | The Indian Eye 15

names and replace them with the JeI and ulema leaders had
Islamic names. entered into co-habitation with
The group went to the ex- each other. The BNP enjoys
tent of demanding that the gov- close relations with some of the
ernment replace Prof Narayan constituent parties of HeI. In
Chandra Saha, a Hindu, from 2012, the IoJ had left the BNP
the position of Chairman of Na- saying that the ulemas needed
tional Curriculum and Textbook to be united to charter an inde-
Board (NCTB). pendent policy.
The government is current-
Power struggle to control ly bothered by the opposition
Hefajat to the installation of a statue

After the failed agitation of Mujib in Dhaka’s Dholai-
in Dhaka’s Shapla Chottor on par Square, which the Hefajat
May 5, 2013, there were differ- terms as un-Islamic and harm-
ences of opinion within the HeI. a demonstration by religious groups in Dhaka ful. Some ministers have said
Babu Nagori, who was then the that the government will initi-
General Secretary of the organ- ate criminal cases against He-
isation, was opposed to Shafi’s fajat activists for indulging in
close contacts with the AL gov- violence in their demonstration
ernment, especially after the at Shapla Chattor. A sculpture
brutal police action in Dhaka of Mujib in Khustia was broken.
on the protesters in 2013. The In the last few years, the
differences of opinion came to AL strengthened the HeI by
a head when Ahmad Shafi de- accommodating its demands,
cided to honour Prime Minister while moderate Islamic forc-
Hasina for passing the bill rec- es have remained alienated.
ognising the madrasa degree. Fundamentally though, the
Juniad Babunagori’s uncle, Mo- ideologies of the AL and HeI
hibullah Babunagori, resigned stand opposed to each other.
from his position as the Secre- The takeover of HeI by more
tary General of the organisation radical leaders opposed to the
on October 3, along with other Bangladesh Prime minister sheikh hasina government only reflects the
leaders, for not being consulted limitation of the latter’s ap-
over the issue. Several leaflets es of Anas Madani and Shafi remain relevant in Bangladesh peasement policy. While the
were circulated by unidentified against the decision. politics. After successfully gain- ulemas may not be electorally
people against the function. future of islamist politics ing recognition for its Quami successful; their street power
Many of the senior leaders madrassa degree, it has moved and ideological commitment
stayed away from the thanks- After his election as Amir of forth with its other social agen- to their interpretation of reli-
giving ceremony, where Hasina HeI, Juniad Babunagori stat- das. Not only HeI but the BNP- gion will push the government
was declared the Quami mother ed that the group will work to- led Somomona Islami Dal (sim- to further Islamise the social
by Ahmad Shafi. This coming wards establishing Islam and to ilar thinking Islamic Parties), sphere. That will pave the way
together of AL and HeI though uproot anti-Islamic forces. He organised a large-scale demon- for the ultimate political suc-
was a crucial factor that helped even asserted that the group stration in Dhaka against the cess of the Islamists.
in the AL’s 2014 and 2018 elec- would shed blood to protect Is- French President Emanuel Ma-
toral victories. lam. Hefajat is aiming to occu- cron for his recent remarks on Smruti S. Pattanaik is Research
The leadership of HeI is now py the Islamist political space the cartoons of the Prophet Mo- Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar
firmly in the hands of Juniad which is organisationally vacant hamed. Institute for Defence Studies
Babunagori, who had fallen at the moment due to de-reg- HeI is gaining larger traction and Analyses, New Delhi
out with Shafi in October 2018. istration of JeI and the govern- among political parties who are Views expressed are of the
On June 17, 2020, Juniad Ba- ment’s continued action against vying for public space. There
bunagari, who was close to his the party which has crippled its were reports that even some of author and do not necessarily
uncle, was relieved of duty as functioning. The Jamaat has JeI leaders were present at the reflect the views of the Manohar
assistant director by the Shura been lying low politically since funeral of former Ahmed Shafi. Parrikar IDSA or of the Govern-
ment of India.
committee of Madrassas. In- the arrest and hanging of its Jamaat was embittered by the
stead, Maulana Sheikh Ahmed, leaders on charges of commit- HeI’s reluctance to fight against This is the abridged version of
a senior teacher of the madras- ting war crimes. It tried to bring the government, after its cad- the article which appeared first
sa, was given the responsibility Hefajat to its side in 2013 to res were killed in 2013. Though in the Comment section of the
of the associate director. Hun- orchestrate anti-government there are theological differenc- website (www.idsa.in) of Mano-
dreds of students demonstrated demonstrations. es between Jamaat and ulemas, har Parrikar Institute for De-
on Chattogram-Khagrachhari The big question is whether JeI has always benefited from fense Studies and Analyses, New
Road and vandalised the offic- Hefajat has a political agenda to the politics of religion and both Delhi on December 10, 2020

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