Context of the New Bangladesh: What Are the Expectations of Islamist Groups?

Sheikh Hasina, who ruled Bangladesh for almost 16 years, has now been outside the country for nearly one year. During her tenure, leftists, rightists, and Islamists were under pressure and often struggled to express their ideological beliefs freely. Many argue that her long period in power restricted open political and religious practice.

However, after the monsoon revolution led by students, a new environment emerged where people from all backgrounds can now express, exercise, and practice their political and religious ideologies. Over the past year, individuals and groups have openly shared their beliefs—whether communalist, Islamist, or secularist.

In this new context, leaders from all ideological groups are trying to secure influence in the government or parliament. Everyone is expressing their opinions and criticizing others, yet what stands out is that there is no violent conflict. Instead, they are talking, debating, and attempting to convince the public through dialogue. To better understand how Islamist groups are presenting their ideas, we spoke with Mufti Harun Izhar, the Joint Secretary of one of the largest Islamic organizations, Hefajat-e-Islam. During Sheikh Hasina’s government, he was imprisoned three times, spending a total of five years in jail. He was once accused of involvement in attacks on the US and Indian embassies, but police records indicate no such evidence. He was detained under the Special Security Act, yet law enforcement at the time portrayed him as a "terrorist."

“Sheikh Hasina pressured us with aggressive secularism. It was completely impractical for Bangladesh. She used state power and allegations of terrorism to eliminate her possible opposition. She repeatedly told international media that without her, terrorism would rise in Bangladesh. But after one year of the interim government, no one has been arrested on terrorism charges,” said Mufti Harun Izhar.

When asked what kind of Bangladesh he wants to see, Mr. Izhar replied: “We want a ‘soft secular’ country like Malaysia or Turkey. We expect more cooperation from the Western world. We need strong trade and military relations with the United States of America. But we have a different ideology, and they need to respect that.”

Mufti Harun Izhar has long spoken about Islamizing the country. But now he expresses support for a softer secular framework. Why this change? He explained: “Of course, we want to establish Islam in Bangladesh. But the Bangladeshi people are not yet ready to practice that fully. Sheikh Hasina imposed Indian hegemony in the name of secularism, and people rejected it because they could not accept it. So our priority now is to convince people about Islam. We will never pressure the government or political parties to implement Islamic laws.”