[Bangla Daily Star] The 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...
is gradually distancing itself from its main ally BNP, as the Islamist party is disappointed with the BNP's handling of the ongoing movement and its stance on the execution of Abdul Quader Mollah.
The Jamaat believes it has already "paid dearly" by losing many of its leaders and activists in the violent movement against the government. In most cases, BNP leaders and activists kept themselves from the street agitations.
To the Jamaat, the BNP just wanted to have the pie prepared through Jamaat sacrifice. In addition, the more Jamaat takes to the streets, the more it is perceived as a terrorist organization. But it could have come out of this stigma had the BNP joined it on the ground.
At the same time, the Jamaat was expecting that BNP chief
Three-term PM of Bangla, widow of deceased dictator Ziaur Rahman, head of the Bangla Nationalist Party, an apparent magnet for corruption ...
would condemn, at least tactically, the hanging on December 12 of Jamaat assistant secretary general Quader Mollah for war crimes. But she did not do so, which has frustrated Jamaat.
The Daily Star has learnt these from a number of leaders of the BNP, Jamaat and a component of the 18-party opposition alliance.
The rift between the two allies became clearer after the BNP failed to bring out on the streets any of its leaders to enforce the December 29 "March for Democracy" programme that was later extended by one day.
According to the sources, Khaleda herself phoned the 20 Dhaka city aspirants for the next parliamentary election, but none of them came out of their homes.
The Jamaat-Shibir had brought into the capital several lakhs of their men for the Dhaka march programme braving the difficulties on the way, but the BNP had failed to utilise them on the day, said an alliance leader.
While the Jamaat-Shibir activists unleashed reigns of terror by attacking innocent people, particularly commuters, in the past, the party this time decided to refrain from such action if the BNP men were not out on the streets.
"Our men, who sacrificed their lives during the anti-government movement, are labelled as faceless myrmidons no matter how many of our people die. But the BNP gets the benefit of it," a Dhaka city Jamaat leader told this correspondent, requesting anonymity.
Jamaat's latest stance has worried the BNP high-ups, especially about the fate of the ongoing movement.
Moreover, the BNP chief has expressed dissatisfaction over the apparent collapse of the party's chain of command that resulted in a "poor performance" on the first day of the indefinite blockade that began yesterday.
A number of mid-level BNP leaders quoting party high-ups said they were under pressure from different quarters for their "close relations" with the Jamaat.
The government and a number of foreign countries have been denouncing the BNP for its ties with the Jamaat, which they say is a fundamentalist party whose top leaders were involved in crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.
Nevertheless, the BNP is hopeful that it can keep those ties intact. According to a BNP leader, the Jamaat has no other alternative than to continue relations with the BNP at this critical juncture in politics.
"That's why the party has to return to the BNP sooner or later. We hope the Jamaat will be active on the streets again in its own interest," he added.
Sources say Jamaat high-ups have conveyed to the BNP chief the message that their leaders and activists will not be active in the agitation programmes if BNP men do not actively participate in them.
In support of this position, a top leader in the opposition alliance said Jamaat-Shibir men were not active on the streets yesterday, which was in contrast to their role during past blockades and hartal
... a peculiarly Bangla combination of a general strike and a riot, used by both major political groups in lieu of actual governance ...
s.
"This reflects the cold relations between the BNP and Jamaat," he added.