News Desk
In a dramatic escalation of tensions ahead of Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections, the Islamist advocacy group Hefazat-e-Islam has declared a religious “jihad” against the country’s largest Islamist political party, Jamaat-e-Islami, accusing it of misrepresenting Islamic principles. The declaration by Hefazat’s leader, Allama Shah Muhibbullah Babunagari, has intensified ideological fault lines in Bangladesh’s political landscape, with implications for the February 12 polls.
Babunagari, addressing supporters in Chattogram on Thursday, framed the conflict as a battle to protect “true Islam” from Jamaat’s “hypocritical” interpretation. “Voting for Jamaat is *haram* (forbidden) for Muslims. They follow Maududi’s distorted Islam, not the Islam of Madinah,” he asserted, referencing the ideological divide between Jamaat’s founder Abul A’la Maududi and Hefazat’s emphasis on moral reform and pluralism. The remarks followed Hefazat’s earlier criticism of Jamaat as a “false force” in August 2025.
The outburst comes as surveys suggest Jamaat-e-Islami is poised to emerge as a stronger contender than ever, potentially rivaling the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Tarique Rahman. Hefazat’s sudden opposition marks a shift from its earlier tacit alliances with Jamaat, signaling a recalibration of political loyalties ahead of the elections.
The rift between the two groups has roots in deeper doctrinal and political differences. Hefazat, a Sunni Deobandi movement, has long championed a 13-point charter to “Islamize” Bangladesh’s legal and social framework. It has also maintained an overtly anti-India stance, opposing PM Narendra Modi’s 2021 visit and rallying against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). In contrast, Jamaat-e-Islami, while advocating for an Islamic state, has focused more on political power than social Islamization.
Tensions flared in December 2025 when Hefazat leaders confronted police to secure the release of activists accused of targeting India’s Chattogram consulate. The group also led protests against “un-Islamic” music and physical education teachers in schools, reflecting its rigid social conservatism.
The Hefazat-Jamaat clash has turned the elections into a referendum on competing visions of Islam in Bangladesh. While Jamaat’s electoral gains could bolster its political influence, Hefazat’s grassroots mobilization through madrasas and mass rallies remains a formidable force. The conflict also intersects with Bangladesh’s contentious July Charter, which the Islamist-backed government claims will redefine the nation’s identity.
As voters prepare to cast their ballots, the ideological battle between the two groups underscores the volatile interplay of religion and politics in Bangladesh’s democracy. The outcome could reshape the country’s trajectory, with implications for its relations with India and the broader Islamic world.
