Published : 17 Sep 2025, 06:55 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 01:49 PM
Anisul Islam Mahmud, chairman of a faction of the Jatiya Party (JaPa), has described calls to ban the party’s activities as “undesirable and wholly undemocratic”.
He said such demands are “dangerous” for Bangladesh’s political culture.
The remarks came during an emergency meeting with senior leaders at the Gulshan residence of the party’s secretary-general on Monday night, according to a statement issued on Tuesday.
On the same day, the Jamaat-e-Islami and several other political parties protested with a five-point charter of demands. A faction of JaPa also announced programmes in support of the movement.
One of their key demands was a ban on the activities of the JaPa and the allies of the Awami League-led 14-Party Alliance.
Recently, protests demanding the JaPa’s ban also led to an arson attack on the office of the faction led by GM Quader, the party’s mainstream leader.
Anisul criticised the move, saying: “It is both surprising and regrettable that the Jamaat-e-Islami, which the Jatiya Party once firmly opposed banning, is now calling for its ban.”
He added that since its formation, the JaPa has been a “defender” of people’s rights, democratic practice, and peaceful political activity.
The former minister said, “At no point in Bangladesh’s political history has the Jatiya Party engaged in any political crime or participated in any activity that would justify a ban. Within the democratic system, the party has repeatedly worked for public welfare, development, and the stability of the state.”
To strengthen Bangladesh’s democratic system, Anisul stressed that all parties must be allowed to participate.
He said, “Demands to politically ban any party weaken the democratic process and silence the public voice. Such demands are not only unreasonable, but also show contempt for the nation’s history, traditions, and the will of the people.”
