Bangladesh’s caretaker government, led by Muhammad Yunus, is under fire for allowing the Jamaat-e-Islami to dictate policy in the run-up to the February 2026 general elections. With the Awami League banned from contesting, many see the electoral process as deeply skewed, even as radical Islamist groups step up calls to implement Sharia law and transform the country into an Islamic State.
The Jamaat’s influence in the interim administration is no longer covert. Directives on education and cultural policy suggest that its agenda is being executed officially.
Ban on dance teachers, push for religious instructors
In one of its most controversial moves, the Jamaat recently instructed government schools to drop plans for appointing dance teachers at the primary level. Instead, it has demanded that schools hire religious instructors.
Mia Golam Parwar, Jamaat’s general secretary, defended the order, stating, “Appointing music and dance teachers instead of religious instructors is completely unacceptable. Music or dance cannot be considered a compulsory subject for students. If a family has a strong interest in such activities, they can arrange private teachers themselves. But religious education is essential for all communities.”
He further argued that Bangladesh’s youth were facing a “moral crisis” and that only religious education could instil values and discipline. Notably, such rhetoric bears striking similarities to Taliban policies in Afghanistan.
Rise in moral policing and minority attacks
Since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, radical groups have become emboldened. Reports suggest that in just the first week of her removal, more than 200 attacks on minorities, particularly Hindus, were recorded. The violence, attributed to cadres linked with Jamaat’s student wing, Islamic Chhatra Shibir, escalated in the weeks that followed.
The lifting of the ban on the Jamaat, the release of jailed extremists and criminals, and the absence of checks on radical groups have all raised alarms about the country’s trajectory. Human rights activists argue that moral policing and growing restrictions on women are evidence of a creeping Talibanisation of Bangladesh.
BNP-Jamaat alliance and regional concerns
The upcoming polls are widely expected to favour the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which now enjoys an edge with the Awami League sidelined. However, if the BNP falls short of a majority, it will likely have no choice but to form a coalition with the Jamaat, repeating its political partnership from the past.
Such a scenario could complicate relations with India. Under Sheikh Hasina, New Delhi and Dhaka enjoyed strong security cooperation, but ties with the caretaker government have already soured. Indian officials are closely monitoring the situation, concerned that a BNP-Jamaat axis, backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), could destabilise the region.
A radical push toward an Islamic state?
Jamaat’s current assertiveness signals a systematic attempt to Islamise state institutions. Since the 1970s, the party has reportedly worked hand-in-hand with Pakistan’s ISI to push an Islamist agenda and weaken secular governance in Bangladesh.
For now, the elections are being touted as a democratic reset, but with the Awami League barred, minorities under attack, and Jamaat shaping policy, Bangladesh risks sliding further toward religious authoritarianism.
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