Bangladesh to Ban Main Islamic Party Amid Violent Student Protests

Bangladesh plans to ban the main Islamic party, Jamaat-e-Islami, and its student wing on Wednesday following violent student-led protests against government job reservations that left 150 dead. The move, dubbed unconstitutional by the party, is attributed to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's efforts to quell unrest fueled by economic stagnation and youth unemployment.

Bangladesh is set to ban on Wednesday the main Islamic party, Jamaat-e-Islami, and its student wing, following violent student-led protests against government job reservations that resulted in 150 deaths. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina attributed the unrest to Jamaat-e-Islami and the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), prompting an executive order for the ban, according to Law Minister Anisul Huq.

Jamaat-e-Islami has condemned the Awami League government's decision as 'illegal, extrajudicial and unconstitutional.' The party and its opposition allies deny allegations of inciting violence, which led to a nationwide curfew and internet shutdowns enforced by the army.

Rights groups and critics argue that Hasina's 15-year rule has increasingly become autocratic, marked by arrests, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings. Amid high inflation and stagnant job growth, the recent unrest has spotlighted youth unemployment and economic pressures, with the UN and international bodies urging Dhaka to uphold the right to peaceful protest.