Bangladesh’s radical Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, experienced a significant increase in seats and vote share during the 13th Parliamentary election, although it did not achieve executive dominance. This resurgence has reignited memories of its association with the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Despite the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s victory, Jamaat secured 77 seats and nearly 31% of the vote, marking its strongest electoral performance in years.
Jamaat-e-Islami, previously linked to the traumas of the 1971 war, has now reemerged in mainstream politics. The rehabilitation of the party is viewed as a political move rather than a historical one. The memory of 1971, when Jamaat collaborated with Pakistani forces during the Liberation War, remains a significant aspect of Bangladesh’s collective consciousness.
The rise of Jamaat raises concerns about democratic memory and the ability of political systems to integrate actors without addressing their past. The party’s 2026 campaign focused on protecting “mothers and sisters,” with its chief emphasizing the need to defend women’s honor. However, his remarks on gender roles and limitations were seen as strategic electoral tactics rather than theological beliefs.
Jamaat’s proposal to restrict women’s working hours to five per day, under the guise of prioritizing domestic responsibilities, was perceived as an attempt to confine women’s labor. This move, presented as a benevolent reform, was interpreted as promoting containment over autonomy. The party’s electoral strategy seemed to overlook the changing gender dynamics shaped by socio-economic transformations in Bangladesh.
The failure of Jamaat to secure executive control underscores a structural limitation in its political influence. While political Islam in Bangladesh can leverage identity and moral discourse, it faces challenges in reversing the effects of economic integration and social evolution.
