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Jamaat staging a comeback through upazila polls

The rightist party, which had opposed the country's liberation and whose top leaders are accused of mass killings, rape and atrocities during the Liberation War, has proved to be a stubborn organisation.

Farid Hossain
THE impressive performance of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh (JI) in the first phase of the upazila elections should serve as a strong message to the country's secular forces. Candidates backed by the Islamist party have won 13 posts of chairmen, becoming the third largest winners after BNP and AL.
Though it is too early to make a proper assessment on whether the Islamist party will be able to keep it up in the next four phases of the local government polls, the secular forces can't afford to take the first-phase showing lightly.
The upazila gains of Jamaat should be seen in the context of the government's recent crackdown on the party following a wave of terrorist attacks by its militant activists in the wake of the trial of its top leaders on charges of crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War. It has also been condemned for felling of
trees to make roadblocks during a series of general strikes and nationwide non-stop blockades to resist the 10th parliamentary election on January 5.
Jamaat has been barred from contesting in the general election after the Election Commission canceled its registration on grounds that the Islamist party's main principles go against the country's constitution. But this does not bar the party from taking part in the upazila elections since these are, under the rules, non-partisan contests. So, the upazila polls have provided Jamaat an opportunity to show its strength and whatever support it still enjoys among a section of the population in spite of nationwide outcry against it and the growing demand that the party be banned for its terrorist activities.
BNP, the main opposition party outside the parliament, should be happy over Jamaat's performance in upazila ballots. BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, who has refused to quit its close links with Jamaat, should feel she has been right in her decision.
The Jamaat phenomenon should be a real headache for the ruling AL and its largely secular allies. It has to be seen how AL and its leader Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina view this development. It will be too naive to dismiss the Jamaat win as just an isolated incident having no impact on national politics or the on-going war crimes trial. Well, the outcome of the upazila polls may not be a big factor in changing the course of national politics, but it should be viewed with the seriousness it deserves.
Let's now analyse the factors that have contributed to Jamaat's strong showing. In local government elections rural voters take into consideration the character of a candidate more than the national issues. A good individual whose political career is not tainted with allegations of corruption or misdeeds is preferred by the voters.
Jamaat is also a party of dedicated and loyal members who stay in constant touch with the rural people. They have highly motivated squads of workers - both men and women - who make
regular visits to the rural people, establishing good rapport with them. Jamaat members don't behave like guest birds that come and go without leaving any impression on the villagers. In this regard, Jamaat is a different breed from AL and BNP, which have many of their leaders tainted with allegations of corruption and infighting over leadership in the party. In the ongoing upazila polls both AL and BNP are struggling with rebel candidates, but Jamaat is free from this problem.
Jamaat is fighting for its political survival. Issues like war crimes trial have pushed the party's back against the wall. But the early showing in the upzila polls is a sign that Jamaat's plight is mostly an urban phenomenon. The rightist party, which had opposed the country's liberation and whose top leaders are accused of mass killings, rape and atrocities during the Liberation War, has proved to be a stubborn organisation.
The writer is former Bureau Chief, AP.