Dhaka, 19 July 2025 — In a moment that many called unprecedented, Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami brought together tens of thousands of its supporters from across the country in the heart of the capital, Dhaka. Held at Suhrawardy Udyan, the rally marks the party’s first major solo political gathering in the capital in over five decades — and its first since the fall of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League-led government last year.
The atmosphere at the gathering was charged with emotion and determination, as Jamaat’s top leadership used the platform to assert their renewed role in shaping the country’s future. The party’s Ameer, Shafiqur Rahman, led the rally, addressing supporters with a speech that moved between solemn reflection and fiery commitment to political change.
“Our movement last year was not for any party—it was to uproot fascism and restore justice,” Rahman declared, referring to the mass protests that ultimately led to the ousting of Hasina’s government in August 2024. He warned of potential struggles ahead, urging his followers to brace for sacrifices. “If my blood is needed to build a just Bangladesh, may Allah accept it,” he said, his voice faltering with emotion.
Rahman didn’t shy away from revisiting painful chapters in the nation’s political past. Without directly naming names, he called for trials of those responsible for violent incidents since 2006—including the 2009 BDR mutiny that left dozens of army officers dead and the unrest of July 2024. “Justice is not a luxury—it’s a necessity. Until we see real accountability, Bangladesh will remain stuck in a broken system,” he said.
The party had been officially banned just days before Hasina’s ouster last year—a ban imposed by her administration after branding the Islamist group a threat. However, the new interim leadership under Professor Muhammad Yunus later reversed that decision, allowing Jamaat to re-enter the public political sphere.
At the rally, Jamaat leadership set forth their vision of clean governance. “We reject corruption. We will not tolerate extortion,” Rahman said firmly, promising that, if the party comes to power, none of its elected officials would accept perks like tax-exempt luxury vehicles or personally manage public funds—issues that have long plagued Bangladeshi politics.
One of the central reforms Jamaat is now pushing for is a shift to a proportional representation (PR) system in national elections. The party argues that PR would offer a fairer reflection of the people’s political choices in the fragmented landscape of contemporary Bangladeshi politics.
Senior leader Abdullah Mohammad Taher echoed this sentiment, saying, “Our political structure must evolve. Proportional representation is the fairest way to ensure all voices are heard.”
Interestingly, the rally also signalled Jamaat’s growing distance from its former ally, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which ruled in coalition with Jamaat from 2001 to 2006. No BNP leaders were seen at Saturday’s event—likely due to the two parties’ growing disagreement over electoral reform, particularly on the issue of PR.
In contrast, other Islamist factions and representatives from the youth-led National Citizen Party (NCP) did attend, indicating a possible reshaping of alliances.
A dramatic moment occurred when Rahman, now 66, collapsed twice while addressing the crowd, prompting his immediate transfer to a hospital. Party officials later confirmed he had recovered but was under observation.
The scale of the rally was staggering. After nearly a month of preparation, the party claims it mobilised over half a million people—a figure that, if accurate, represents the largest crowd the party has gathered since Bangladesh’s independence in 1971.
Reflecting on the historical significance, political observers noted that Jamaat’s last major attempt to hold such a gathering in Dhaka was during the pre-independence era of East Pakistan, ahead of the 1970 general elections. That rally ended in chaos as rival political activists chased party members from the field. Since then, Jamaat had been relegated to smaller street gatherings—until now.
Whether this rally marks a turning point for Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh’s turbulent political landscape remains to be seen. But for many who gathered at Suhrawardy Udyan, it was a day of revival—a chance to reclaim political space after decades of exclusion and controversy.
