This document is downloaded from DR‑NTU (https://dr.ntu.edu.sg) Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. God in politics : Islamism and democracy in Bangladesh Islam, Md Nazrul 2017 Islam, M. N. (2017). God in politics : Islamism and democracy in Bangladesh. Doctoral thesis, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. http://hdl.handle.net/10356/69470 https://doi.org/10.32657/10356/69470 Downloaded on 29 Sep 2021 19:21:07 SGT God in Politics: Islam, Islamism and democracy in Bangladesh A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology By Islam Md Nazrul School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) Supervisor: Associate Professor Dr. Md Saidul Islam, Division of Sociology July 2016 God in Politics: Islam, Islamism and democracy in Bangladesh Islam Md Nazrul 2 Dedicated to My Parents Md Fazlul Haq Howlader Lal Banu My In-Laws Md Asadul Hoque Jahanara Begum My Wife Nahid Sultana Lucky 3 Acknowledgements It is my great pleasure to acknowledge all those who have made this study possible. My sincere thanks and appreciations are due to the members of my supervisory committee for their valuable time and insightful comments during the writing of this dissertation. I am particularly thankful to my supervisor, Dr. Md Saidul Islam, who supported and encouraged me throughout the study. His scholarly conversations, thoughtful advice and enormous patience have enabled me to bring this study to fruition. Dr. Islam’s critical outlook, sociological imagination, professional excellence and dedication made for an invaluable contribution to the study. His guidance during the course of my work made for both a rich and fulfilling learning experience. I also wish to extend my sincerest gratitude to the other members of my supervisory committee: Dr. Kamaludeen Mohamed Nasir for his invaluable support and encouragement and Dr. Mohamed Nawab Mohamed Osman who meticulously read the dissertation, providing critical comments and valuable suggestions. My greatest thanks are reserved for the three unknown reviewers for their insightful comments and important suggestions. Dr. Genaro Castro Vazquez, the coordinator of the Graduate Studies Program, was extremely supportive of the study. His outstanding efforts, professionalism and academic integrity contributed to the timely accomplishment of the study. Special appreciations to Professor Zhou Min, Director of the Chinese Heritage Center and Tan Lark Sye Professor and Head of the Division of Sociology, for her overall 4 supervision of the research. Her academic excellence, extremely supportive mindset, benevolent administration and brilliant leadership are indeed praiseworthy. I am also thankful to Dr. Francis Lim, Dr. Patrick Williams, Dr. Sulfikar Amir, Dr. Sam Han, Dr. Premchand Dommaraju and others for their cordial support and encouragement. I am enormously indebted to my interviewees who voluntarily and enthusiastically participated in the study and shared their deep insights with me. Dr. Kamal Hossain, Dr. Akbar Ali Khan, Dr. Mizanur Rahman, Dr. Asif Nazrul, Dr. Sukomal Barua, Nurul Kabir, Shah Abdul Hannan, Dr. Abdullah Jahangir, Dr. Syed Sharafat Ali, Maulana Khalilur Rahman and Mufti Fayzullah, just to name a few. My thanks are due to the participants of the focus group discussions as well. Journalists Amin Al Rashid of Channel 24, Ahmed Al-Amin of Bangladesh Pratidin, and Abu Saleh Akon of Naya Diganta provided me with invaluable support, particularly during the collection of the addresses and contact numbers of the research participants. I also express my gratitude to them. I also recall the cooperation of Mahfuzar Rahman, Assistant Director (Research & Publication) of the Bangladesh Institute of Islamic Thought (BIIT). I also thank Furqan Akram Khan for editing this dissertation. My friends and family members have been a constant source of encouragement and enthusiasm throughout my life, particularly during this study. I believe, this work could not be made possible without the continued emotional support from my family members—my parents, siblings, in-laws and my wife. I would like to express my heart- felt thanks to them. I also say a big “thank you” to all of my friends and well-wishers. 5 Finally, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and its School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS). I would not be able to conduct this study without the financial support (scholarship) provided by the NTU. Thank you NTU! 6 Table of Contents Acknowledgements 4 List of Acronyms 8 List of Tables and Maps 10 Technical Note 11 Abstract 12 Chapter One Introduction 13 Chapter Two Theoretical and Conceptual Framework 35 Chapter Three Methods of Data Collection and Analysis 59 Chapter Four Islam and Democracy: A philosophical debate 78 Chapter Five The Advent of Islam and Growth of Muslim Society in Bangladesh 114 Chapter Six Political Islam in Pre-Independent Bangladesh: Puritanism, Muslim nationalism and ethno-nationalism 154 Chapter Seven Piety and Politics: Secularization and Islamization in Bangladesh 186 Chapter Eight Allah’r Ain Chai, Sot Loker Shasan Chai (We Want God’s Laws, We Want Honest People’s Rule): Islam, Islamism and democracy in Bangladesh 241 Chapter Nine Conclusion and Sociological Implications 295 Bibliography 318 7 List of Acronyms ABT Ansarullah Bangla Team AKP Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi AL Awami League ASK Ain O Salish Kendra BIC Bangladesh Islami Chhatrashibir BIF Bangladesh Islami Front BIISS Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies BIIT Bangladesh Institute of Islamic Thought BJI Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami BKA Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan BML Bangladesh Muslim League BNP Bangladesh Nationalist Party BRAC Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee BTF Bangladesh Tariqat Federation BUET Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology COP Combined Opposition Parties CP Central President CPB Communist Party of Bangladesh DAC Democratic Action Committee DUCSU Dhaka University Central Students’ Union DUJ Dhaka Union of Journalist EPJI East Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami HTB Hizb ut-Tahrir Bangladesh HuJi Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami IAB Islami Andolan Bangladesh IDB Islamic Development Bank IDD Islamic Democratic Discourse IDL Islamic Democratic League IFB Islamic Front Bangladesh 8 IJOF Islami Jatiya Oikya Front IMB Islami Morcha Bangladesh IOJ Islami Oikya Jote IS Islamic State ISIL Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ISIS Islamic State of Iraq and Syria JIB Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh JIH Jamaat-e-Islami Hind JIP Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan JMB Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh JMJB Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh JP Jatiya Party JSD Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal JUIB Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam Bangladesh JUIP Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam Pakistan KM Khelafat Majlis NAP National Awami Party NDF National Democratic Front NGO Non-Government Organization NIP Nezam-e-Islam Party NTU Nanyang Technological University OIC Organization of Islamic Conference PAS Malaysian Islamic Party PDM Pakistan Democratic Movement PDP Pakistan Democratic Party PKS Partai Keadilan Sejahtera PPP Pakistan People’s Party PPR Political Parties Regulation UMNO United Malays National Organization WAMY World Assembly of Muslim Youth ZP Zaker Party 9 List of Tables and Maps 2.1: Taxonomy of the ‘old paradigm’ and ‘new paradigm’ of the secularization theory 41 2.2: Taxonomy of the modalities of secularism 48 2.3: Procedural democracy 55 2.4: Liberal democracy 56 2.5: Substantive Democracy 57 3.1: Research participants 64 3.2: Names and designations of participants, and date and place of interviews 64 3.3: Focus group discussions 73 8.1: Taxonomy of Islamist parties and movements in Bangladesh 254 8.2: The parliamentary elections performance of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami (BJI) 262 5.1: The Map of Asia 115 5.2: The Map of Bangladesh 115 10 Technical Note Unless otherwise noted, translations from Bengali into English are by the author. 11 Abstract Religion remains a dominant social institution and a topic of sociological inquiry. This research has explored the complex interplay among Islam, Islamism and democracy in Bangladesh, addressing some pressing questions: What is the relationship between Islamic tradition and democracy? What is the origin and development of Islamic tradition in Bangladesh? What are the key social and historical trajectories through which Islamism has developed in Bangladesh, and what specific roles, if any, did state and non- state actors play in that promotion? Who are the Islamists and what is their role in the politics of Bangladesh? How is secularism understood and practiced in Bangladesh? How do the Bangladeshi Islamists see secularism and democracy? Drawing on the theories of secularism and Weberian sociology of religion (along with conceptual threads such as polyarchy and hybridity of democracy), this study addresses these research questions. A triangulation of methods comprised of in-depth interviews, content analysis, and focus group discussions has been employed in this research. The study has found that Islam and democracy are not necessarily incompatible. Islam was spread in Bangladesh largely through peaceful missionary activities with both state and non-state actors making contributions to Islamism through Islamization in Bangladesh. While the Islamic parties in general are characterized by factionalism, disintegration and dynastic politics, the mainstream Islamic parties have little or no tension with democracy in Bangladesh. Secularism was imposed, not established