Student Organizations Welcome Ban on Jamaat-e-Islami and Chhatra Shibir

Five organizations under the Chhatra Sangam Parishad have expressed strong support for the recent ban on the political activities of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir. This endorsement was communicated in a joint statement released on Thursday afternoon.

The organizations involved in the statement are the Bangladesh Chhatra League, Bangladesh Chhatra League (JSAD), Bangladesh Chhatra Maitri, Bangladesh Chhatra Andolan, and Jatiya Chhatra Oikya. The statement was signed by their respective leaders: Chhatra League President Saddam Hossain, General Secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Inan, Bangladesh Chhatra League (JSAD) President Rashidul Haque Nani, General Secretary Masud Ahmed, Bangladesh Chhatra Maitri President Atulon Das Alo, General Secretary Aditi Adrita Srishti, Bangladesh Chhatra Andolan Convenor Robin Hossain Joy, and Jatiya Chhatra Oikya convener Shahinur Rahman.

In their joint statement, the leaders asserted that Jamaat-e-Islami and Chhatra Shibir have long engaged in extremist, anti-freedom, and anti-democratic activities, including violence and destruction. They highlighted the historical role of these organizations in opposing Bangladesh's independence, with members involved in war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War as part of the Razakar and Al-Badr forces.

The statement recalled that after Bangladesh's independence, Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Sangh (later Chhatra Shibir) were banned under Article 38 of the Constitution. However, this ban was lifted in 1976 under the regime of Ziaur Rahman, allowing these organizations to re-enter the political arena. Since the 1980s, under the protection of military rulers Zia and Ershad, Jamaat-e-Islami and Chhatra Shibir resumed what the statement described as "terrorist" activities.

The organizations noted that the call for a legal ban on Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing has been longstanding, dating back to the public court led by Martyr Janani Jahanara Imam on March 26, 1992. The High Court had declared Jamaat-e-Islami's registration invalid on August 1, 2013, and a subsequent notification canceled the party's registration on December 8, 2018. Additionally, they referenced a 2013 report by the US-based security think tank IHS Jane's, which listed Islami Chhatra Shibir as the third top terrorist organization globally.

The student organizations welcomed the government's recent notification, classifying Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir as terrorist organizations. They called for further action, demanding that individuals associated with these groups at all levels be listed as terrorists. They also urged the government to bring all business institutions, financial institutions, and coaching centers controlled by Jamaat-e-Islami and Chhatra Shibir under state control.