Jamaat not considering apologizing now

The issues of apologizing, self-criticism, and reform regarding Jamaat-e-Islami's role in the 1971 War of Liberation are age-old. Following the publication of a new book authored by the party's former Assistant Secretary General, the late Barrister Abdur Razzaq, that longstanding debate has resurfaced. However, Jamaat leaders cite that these matters are now irrelevant. In their words, seeking forgiveness for their role in 1971 has lost its relevance.

In the statements of Jamaat's current leadership, a tendency to distance the present party from its past identity is far more evident than any direct willingness to apologize for 1971.

The party's Secretary General, Mia Golam Parwar, said that the pre-independence Jamaat-e-Islami and today's Jamaat are not the same entity. According to him, the party's constitution, principles, and methods have undergone multiple modifications since independence. He also claimed that the current Jamaat holds the struggle of freedom fighters in high respect.

Golam Parwar said, "Discussions can take place regarding the political policies and roles of various political parties existing during the Pakistani era within that historical context. However, much has changed since independence. Jamaat's constitution, policies, and methodologies have been revised multiple times."

He further said that Jamaat's constitution explicitly mentions respect for the struggle and sacrifices of the heroic freedom fighters, while acknowledging the country's independence and sovereignty remains a prerequisite for acquiring party membership.

At various meetings and seminars, Jamaat leaders have asserted that the current generation of leadership should not be equated with the political realities of 1971. They claim that the party now believes in constitutional and democratic politics, and its political standing has been consolidated through public mandates.

Addressing the issue of apologizing for the 1971 role, Jamaat's Naib-e-Ameer and Member of Parliament A.T.M. Azharul Islam said that asking for forgiveness for 1971 is now irrelevant. He argued that Jamaat has expressed regret on various occasions, adding that if the public had not forgiven the party, it would not have received such substantial popular support in recent elections.

Offering a contrasting perspective, Dr. S. M. Ali Reza, Professor of Political Science at Dhaka University, said that recent electoral success and controversies over the 1971 role are two distinct matters. Achieving political success does not automatically absolve a party of its historical controversies. The birth of Bangladesh is inextricably linked with 1971; hence, any political party's stance during 1971 will continue to feature in future discussions.

Meanwhile, the book titled "Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami: Its History and Politics" details various internal efforts within Jamaat over the years regarding apologies, self-criticism, and reform for its 1971 role. In the final section of the book, Abdur Razzaq offered several recommendations for the party's future. In his view, to remain politically relevant, Jamaat must confront its past, modernize its leadership, and align its politics with the aspirations of the new generation.
During a book launch event in Gulshan, the capital, on September 18, Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md. Asaduzzaman stated that in 2016, at the request of Jamaat's top leadership, Abdur Razzaq had prepared a draft statement regarding the party's role in 1971. He noted that had Jamaat signed that statement, many lingering questions surrounding the party could have been resolved.

The Law Minister's remarks have once again brought to the forefront the decades-long internal discussions within Jamaat regarding self-criticism and shifting its stance on its 1971 role.
Following independence, religion-based politics was banned, rendering Jamaat politically inactive. Later, when multi-party politics was restored, the party resumed its political activities. It subsequently joined a coalition with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and participated in the government formed in 2001.

After 2010, with the trial and execution of several top Jamaat leaders by the International Crimes Tribunal, the issue returned to the center stage of national politics. During the same period, the party faced severe political and organizational pressures.

However, the political landscape shifted following the July 2024 mass uprising, opening new avenues for Jamaat. The success of its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, in university student union elections, followed by major electoral gains for Jamaat in the subsequent national parliamentary elections, added a new dimension to the party's political rise. Driven by electoral success, generational leadership shifts, and recent ballot-box victories, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has entered a new reality. Its political influence across various tiers—from university student unions to the national parliament—has expanded significantly compared to the past. Yet, despite these transformations, the question of its 1971 role remains an unavoidable subject of political debate.

In his book, Abdur Razzaq wrote that the shadow of 1971 still looms heavily over Jamaat. The party's opposition to the independence movement at the time remains a primary source of deep-seated anger among many citizens. Consequently, this history cannot be bypassed through political success alone.

Abdur Razzaq believes that for Jamaat to achieve a sustainable political resurgence, it must honestly engage with its own history. Evading the process of self-criticism and acknowledgment of past mistakes will allow public distrust toward the party to persist.

A central highlight of the book is its detail regarding internal efforts within Jamaat to issue an apology for its 1971 role. Abdur Razzaq demonstrated that although the issue was debated internally on several occasions, it never culminated in an official party decision.

In 2016, at the request of the party's top leadership, he drafted a statement aimed at presenting an official stance before the nation regarding Jamaat's actions in 1971. In the book, Abdur Razzaq noted that multiple meetings were held to finalize the draft, but it was ultimately never adopted as an official party declaration.

Jamaat, however, offers a different narrative regarding the 2016 draft. Dr. Hamidur Rahman Azad, Assistant Secretary General of the party, stated that the draft referenced in Abdur Razzaq's book was never an approved statement of Jamaat. He argued that a document not formally passed by the party's decision-making bodies cannot be characterized as an official party statement.

Jamaat leaders maintain that the modern party has updated its constitution and political platform, asserting that it is inaccurate to equate current-day Jamaat with its 1971 predecessor.

Analysts argue that mere leadership transitions, constitutional amendments, or new political agendas will not resolve the controversies surrounding Jamaat's 1971 history. In their view, a clear and consistent explanation regarding the party's historical position remains essential.

In this context, political analyst Professor Dr. Kazi Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman told Agamir Somoy that even as a new generation assumes leadership, Jamaat's name, identity, and historical roots will repeatedly bring the 1971 question back to public consciousness. He emphasized that beyond generational changes, the party must transform its political philosophy, core principles, and style of politics.