Jama'at‐e‐Islami and Trust Building in Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh is the third‐largest Muslim country in the world where Islamic ideals inherently influence people's thought and actions. One of the Islamist political parties that has been trying to influence the Bangladeshi population is the Jama'at‐e‐Islami (JeI). The JeI is one of the oldest and largest Islamist political parties in the country and has continuously exerted its influence on the social ethos and state policy. JeI's unconditional support for Islamization and a society based on Sharia law undoubtedly attracts some sections of the Bangladeshi population. Apart from promoting an Islamist totalitarian ideology, it also maintains a requirement of religious purification for choosing its party members; a strategy that has earned a reputation as a party with robust intraparty discipline. To enhance its trust‐based relationships with its members (at both the horizontal and vertical levels), JeI helps its members through various means, including the provision of financial support, social welfare programs, and charity activities. Although the targeted population are their members, these schemes have had an impact, however minimal, on the Bangladeshi population to redress its anti‐independence stance in 1971, on the failure to send an apology message for what JeI did in 1971, and on the worldwide failure of political Islam.Related ArticlesBarton, Greg. 2010. “Indonesia: Legitimacy, Secular Democracy, and Islam.” Politics & Policy 38 (3): 471‐496. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2010.00244.xMarinov, Robert, and Daniel Stockemer. 2020. “The Spread of Anti‐Islamic Sentiment: A Comparison between the United States and Western Europe.” Politics & Policy 48 (3): 402‐441. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12354Spalek, Basia. 2010. “Community Policing, Trust, and Muslim Communities in Relation to ‘New Terrorism.’” Politics & Policy 38 (4): 789‐815. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2010.00258.x