The Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan organised a rally on Friday demanding the cancellation of the appointment of music and Transgender teachers in primary schools. The demonstration began from the Baitul Mokarram following the conclusion of traditional Islamic prayers.
The protesters at the rally said that Bangladesh is a country with a 95% Muslim population, so the appointment of music and transgender teachers cannot be permitted. They want Islamic education in schools. The protesters also demanded the recruitment of Islamic religious instructors instead.
The Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan is an Islamist political party. It has been involved in a series of protests since the coup against Sheikh Hasina, demanding the implementation of Islamic policies in the country. It is part of an alliance of 4 Islamist parties that plan on contesting the upcoming elections together.
Rise of Islamists in Bangladesh
Bangladesh has seen a rise in Islamist Activity ever since Sheikh Hasina exited the country. The Jamaat were heavily involved in the so-called ‘student protests’. It will contest elections for the first time since the Supreme Court banned it in 2013. The Jamaat has conducted huge rallies demanding Islamic rule in the country.
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The Hefazat-e-Islam has also been extremely active over the past one year. They were part of massive protests earlier this year, demanding the abolition of a government’s women commission for equality. A leader had said then, “Men and women can never be equal: the Koran outlines specific codes of life for both genders.”
There have been several clashes between left wing student groups and Islamist groups recently. Leftists and Jamaat’s student wing clashed violently at the Rajshahi University in May. The left wing groups had then labelled Chhatra Shibir a terrorist organisation.
The rise of Islamism in Bangladesh presents another national security concern for India. The Jamaat, for instance, had recently demanded the creation of an independent Muslim state in Myanmar’s Arakan region.
