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Islami Andolan Bangladesh
Islamist political party in Bangladesh From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Islami Andolan Bangladesh (Bengali: ইসলামী আন্দোলন বাংলাদেশ, lit. 'Islamic Movement [of] Bangladesh') is an Islamist political party in Bangladesh. It was established by Islamic scholar Syed Fazlul Karim, pir of Charmonai, on 13 March 1987 as the Islami Shasontontro Andolon.[1] Syed Rezaul Karim is the incumbent ameer of the party since 2006.
The party has campaigned in favour of a blasphemy law and organised rallies in support for a restoration of the caretaker government system,[2] as well as demanding punishment of former government minister Abdul Latif Siddique for his comments criticizing Hajj and Muhammad.[3]
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Position
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The party protested against the government of Bangladesh for allowing a women's football tournament in October 2004 and called it "disgrace to women". The party has campaigned in favour of a blasphemy law and organised rallies in support for a restoration of the caretaker government of Bangladesh, as well as demanding punishment of former government minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui for his comments criticizing Hajj and Muhammad. A memorandum has been submitted to the United Nations, urging an end to the violence occurring in Rakhine State, Myanmar. Prior to leaving Baitul Mukarram, party leaders, including Mufti Syed Rezaul Karim, delivered speeches denouncing the atrocities faced by the Rohingya people in Myanmar. In 2019, numerous activists from Islami Andolan Bangladesh assembled at the north gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque following Jumah prayers, staging a protest in the vicinity of the mosque against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in India. They raised slogans such as, "No CAB, no NRC, and stop torturing Muslims in India! Where is humanity?"
On April 25, 2017, IAB announced plans to besiege the Prime Minister's Office, demanding the arrest of "atheist bloggers who insulted Islam" and the enactment of legislation to penalize those who "insult Islam" in Parliament.
The party has been particularly vocal compared to others during the 2024 Bangladesh textbook tearing controversy, advocating for a boycott of Aarong and BRAC University as part of its anti-transformation protests.
Political
The proposals put forth by both the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party concerning the election-time government have been dismissed as flawed and ineffective in addressing the current political crisis. The party has called for the dissolution of parliament and the establishment of a neutral caretaker government to oversee a fair election. IAB Amir Sayed Rezaul Karim criticized the recent local government elections as unjust, stating, "Had the elections been conducted fairly, the true popularity of the party would have been evident." He further remarked on the political climate, asserting, "The populace seeks liberation from the current oppressive and autocratic regime. In their desperate quest for a peaceful society, they struggle to find viable alternatives. Consequently, they are increasingly turning to an Islamist party like ours, with growing participation in the Islamist movement. Interest in IAB is rising as people see no other options."
Islami Andolan Bangladesh Highly supports Islamic unity and have proposed for all Islamist parties uniting for Election.[4] IAB have ties with Jamaat, the largest Islamist party in Bangladesh.[5]
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Election results
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In the 2018 Bangladesh general elections, the Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) achieved the third highest vote count, following the Awami League-led Grand Alliance and BNP-led Jatiya Oikya Front.
Recent city corporation elections have demonstrated a significant increase in the votes received by IAB candidates. In the 2023 Khulna City Corporation election, the IAB candidate surpassed the Jatiya Party (Ershad), the current opposition in parliament, by securing 14,363 votes, while the JaPa candidate received only 1,500 votes. Additionally, IAB ranked third in the 2020 Dhaka South City Corporation election, the 2020 Dhaka North City Corporation election, the 2022 Narayanganj City Corporation election, and the 2022 Rangpur City Corporation election.
Jatiya Sangsad elections
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Leaders
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Secretary-General
Yunus Ahmad (born 16 July 1957) is serving as the secretary general of Islami Andolan Bangladesh.[6] He was born on July 16, 1957, in Maishaghuni village of Khulna district. His father Muslim Uddin and mother Sakina. His education start from JBM Primary School. He then passed secondary school from Belfulia High School. In 1973, he was admitted to Khulna City College. In 1974 he passed his HSC from Khulna Bangabandhu Degree College and moved to Jamia Rashidiya Islamia Charmonai and started memorizing Quran. After completing the memorization of Quran under the supervision of Hafez Nuruzzaman, he passed Dakhil from Anandnagar Nesaria Madrasa in 1981, Alim from Jugihati Aminya Madrasa in 1983, Fazil in 1985 and Kamil from Khulna Alia in 1987. He started practicing tasawwuf by taking bay'at from Syed Fazlul Karim. On November 17, 1998, he received the caliphate from him.[7] His career began at JBM Hafizia Madrasa. Later he taught for some time at Deyara Hafizia Madrasah. In 1996, he took charge of the Principal of Jamia Rashidiya Goalkhali Adarsh Cadet Scheme Madrasah. He was in charge till 2002. Currently, he is teaching Hadith in Dhaka Kadmatli Jamia Islamia Fazlul Uloom Madrasa.[7] He joined Muhammadullah Hafezzi's repentance politics in 1981 at the suggestion of Syed Fazlul Karim. He served as the general secretary of the Bangladesh Mujahid Committee, Khulna district branch. He was associated with the Islami Andolan Bangladesh since its inception. In 2008, he was elected as the general secretary of this party.[7]
Controversy and criticism
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Secular Bangladeshi analysts, international observers, and left-wing entities have characterized Islami Andolon Bangladesh (IAB) as a "far-right" organization and a threat to the country's constitutional secularism. Critics allege that the party promotes extremism by openly advocating for Taliban-style Sharia-based governance and the death penalty under blasphemy laws.[8]
These allegations intensified following the 2013 involvement of activists from IAB, its predecessor Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ), and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Khelafat, with Hefazat-e-Islam. This collaboration was prominent during the Shapla Chattar protests and the violence of May 5–6, which resulted in hundreds of injuries and a disputed official death toll of 58 or 27.[9][10][11] The demonstrators’ demands included a ban on the free mixing of women in public, the halting of secular education reforms, and the punishment of "atheist bloggers."[12][13]
The party, led by Syed Fazlul Karim, faces accusations of facilitating the radicalization of youth through madrasas and student organizations by prioritizing Quranic education over modern curricula, thereby isolating students from pluralistic values. Furthermore, observers allege that the party has directed protests against Western influence and the Hindu community toward anti-minority extremism. While a Carnegie Endowment analysis noted the party's third-place finish in the 2018 general election, the post-2024 political landscape saw Secretary General Maulana Yunus Ahmad emphasize a "single ballot box" strategy to consolidate votes with parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami.[14][15][16] On October 17, 2025, party activists clashed with police near the National Parliament during protests against the interim government, claiming that electoral reforms and the post-Hasina transition aligned with the charter of the July Revolutionwere not sufficiently Islamic.[17][18][19]
Additionally, the party has been condemned by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and human rights groups for displaying religious conservatism and extremist ideologies that challenge gender norms. Incidents cited include the 2020 anti-French cartoon rallies, the June 2025 submission of a 16-point reform charter prioritizing Islamic law over democratic secularism, and the February 2025 forced cancellation of a women's football match, which the party labeled "anti-Islamic" and incompatible with modesty.[20][21]
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See also
Notes
- Except Chattogram, mayoral post has been dissolved in all other city corporations of the country
References
External links
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