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Two years after Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, what is the role of Islamism movements in Bangladesh?
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman addresses an election rally in Chattogram district, Bangladesh, Feb. 2, 2026.
For 15 years, Bangladesh’s government was viewed as a firm bulwark against religious extremism. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had cracked down heavily on the country’s largest Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, as well as various radical and jihadist outfits.
Really, Hasina cracked down on everyone – but to some, her authoritarian bent was an acceptable price to pay to keep religious extremism under wraps.
