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| Bangladesh |
| The emerging political powerhouse that is IAB |
| 2018-12-27 |
| [Dhaka Tribune] Over the last four years, Islami Andolan Bangladesh ...a minor Islamist party which in the days of Bangla Bhai served as a recruiting agency for the JMB... (IAB) has emerged as a political power in the country. Using a "move alone" philosophy, the Islamist political organization has been steadily and silently climbing up the political ladder. They are now arguably the strongest Islamic party in Bangladesh. After staying out of the 2014 general election, the party has fielded 298 candidates for the upcoming polls on December 30; more than any other party. Previously, the IAB fielded 167 candidates who bagged 658,254 votes in 2008, and the party nominated just three candidates under its hand fan symbol in 2001, who earned 5,944 votes. The IAB was founded under the name Islami Shasontontro Andolon by the late Maulana Syed Muhammad Fazlul Karim, who was a Barisal based pir (spiritual leader), on March 13, 1987. The name was changed to IAB after the Election Commission did not allow them to register under the original name. The primary aim of the organization is to establish Islamic law in Bangladesh. In this regard, the IAB has long been a rival of the country’s other Islamic party and BNP-led 20-party alliance member Jamaat-e-Islami ... The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independentbranch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... Bangladesh. According a big shot of IAB, the party has enjoyed a level playing field for election preparation over the last four years. Law enforcement agencies did not bar them from holding any political programs, with the exception of the time when the IAB tried to surround the Myanmar and US embassies after the Rohingya crisis began. However, if you can't say something nice about a person some juicy gossip will go well... an IAB delegation led by Senior Joint Secretary General ATM Hemayet Uddin submitted a complaint to the Election Commission on Monday, claiming that activists and supporters of the ruling Awami League-led alliance were now obstructing their political programs as the election was edging closer. IAB Ameer and Charmonair Pir Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim said: "Activists and supporters of the ruling alliance are trying to stop the IAB from reaching the people, but their efforts will go in vain. No one can stop the rise of IAB by attacking us." Meanwhile, ...back at the Senate, Tremulus continued with his speech against Varius and his cohorts, watching as his colleagues dropped off to sleep one by one... representatives of the BNP-Jamaat have been making similar allegations of obstruction by ruling alliance supporters for far longer. Both the IAB and the Awami League have denied rumours that there is a strong connection between the parties, with the aim of making IAB a counterpart to BNP’s Jamaat. |
| Posted by:Fred |