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A local leader of Jamaat-e-Islami has been publicly shaming poor, lower-caste Muslims for not fasting during Ramadan. A famous social media post shows one such accident where a man suffering from a gastric ulcer – who had been medically advised to eat – gets publicly humiliated.
On March 13th, a video spread on social media depicting a leader of a Jamaat-e-Islami publicly shaming lower-caste Muslims for not fasting during Ramadan. The incident took place in the Lakshmipur district, where the Muslim leader allegedly used a stick to intimidate police and non-fasters and forcibly shut down the food hotels.
A recent social media post identified the individual on the video as someone suffering from a gastric ulcer who had been medically advised to eat by a doctor. The video led to widespread public humiliation of his family, resulting in multiple suicide attempts (Khokan, 2015).
The Jamaat-e-Islami party was established during British colonial rule in 1941, opposing the creation of a Bangladeshi state during the 1971 liberation war against Pakistan (Alam, 2024). The party leaders have been convicted of crimes against humanity, rape and abductions since 2013 (Alam, 2024).
The Jamaat-e-Islami party and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, were banned under the Anti-terrorism Act-2009 by Sheikh Hasina (“Government Bans Jamaat, Shibir”, 2024). However, the ban was recently lifted by the interim government, leading to rising political polarisation. Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and their supporters are taking advantage of the nationwide political unrest, trying to impose extremist religious views on the Bangladeshi population. Their potential rise in power raises concerns about the safety of minorities, the country’s secularism and regional stability.
Sources and Further Readings:
Alam, J. (2024, August 28). Bangladesh’s Interim Government Lifts Ban on the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami Party. The Diplomat. <https://thediplomat.com/2024/08/bangladeshs-interim-government-lifts-ban-on-the-islamist-jamaat-e-islami-party/>
Balachandran, P. K. (2024, August 29). Bangladesh lifts ban on Jamaat-E-Islami: Domestic and international implications – analysis. Eurasia Review. <https://www.eurasiareview.com/29082024-bangladesh-lifts-ban-on-jamaat-e-islami-domestic-and-international-implications-analysis/>
Chakraborty, B. R. (2024, August 11). Bangladesh at crossroads as a result of political instability, Islamism. The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. <https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-814135>
Exposed Ultraverse (2025, March 12). অ’তি’রি’ক্ত কোনো কিছু ভা”লো না..!! 😅 [status update]. Facebook. <https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=998247492258632&rdid=YMrMzJzTRR1QWjP>
Government bans Jamaat, Shibir. (2024, August 1). The Daily Star. <https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/government-bans-jamaat-shibir-3667116>
Khokan, A.A. (2025, March 12). এক ছোটভাই ফোন দিয়ে খুব কান্নাকাটি করলো …[status update]. Facebook. <https://www.facebook.com/ashrafulalam.khokan.5>
Sanatan Voice, [@SanatanVoice_in]. (2025, March 13). The unelected government is destroying democracy in #Bangladesh and taking away people’s freedom. [Post]. X. <https://x.com/SanatanVoice_in/status/1900103157805396179>
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