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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 000001 
 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y (CHANGING MRN TO READ 00001) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/29/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KDEM PHUM BG
SUBJECT: JAMAAT-E-ISLAMI:  THE TORTOISE NOT THE HARE 
 
REF: DHAKA 1122 
 
Classified By: Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i., Nicholas Dean. R 
easons: 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (C) Bangladesh's largest religious party, Jamaat-e-Islami 
held its closed-door Majlish-e-Shura December 7-9 and decided 
not to change course, despite  extraordinary losses in the 
December 2008 elections and efforts by the current Awami 
League government to marginalize Jamaat.  Ali Ahsan Mohammad 
Mojaheed was re-elected Jamaat's Secretary General, and six 
out of seven of its Assistant Secretaries General and three 
of its five Nayeb-e-Ameers were also re-elected.  While 
Jamaat focuses on long-term goals, Chatra Shabbir, Jamaat's 
student wing, continues to immerse itself in political 
clashes. 
 
JAMAAT FOCUSED ON LONG-TERM GOALS 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Prior to the majlish, Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant 
Secretary General Abdur Razzaq contrasted Jamaat's intentions 
with those of Bangladesh,s two main political parties, the 
Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.  Razzaq 
told us Jamaat is not concerned with short-term gains like 
winning the next national election or increasing the number 
of seats in the national parliament.  Rather, Jamaat's true 
aim is to make Bangladesh a genuinely Islamic country. 
 
¶3. (C) Muhammad Kararuzzaman, Jamaat's Assistant Secretary 
General for International Affairs, echoed Razzaq,s views. 
He stressed that the majlish should not be thought of as the 
equivalent to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party's Council, 
which took place on the same dates (reftel), or an 
American-style political convention.  Yes, he said, there 
would be a number of elections for positions within the party 
and the Nizam would announce the names for appointed 
positions, but the meeting would focus more on Islam and how 
to connect with the people of Bangladesh. 
 
MAJLISH STRESSES IDEOLOGY 
------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Abdul Quader Mollah 
told us following the majlish that the gathering had been 
more about teaching than politics.  He claimed that what 
differentiated Jamaat from the other two major political 
parties was that Jamaat had an ideology and the other parties 
did not.  According to Jamaat leaders, the Awami League and 
Bangladesh Nationalist Party formed positions that varied 
election-by-election depending on what they think would 
garner votes, while Jamaat focused on its end goal.  Mollah 
said Jamaat leaders used the majlish to advise delegates, who 
came from every district in Bangladesh, about ways  to 
effectively convey Jamaat messages. 
 
¶5.  (C) Mollah repeatedly said an Islamic state was the only 
thing that could solve the problems of Bangladesh, including 
poverty and moral bankruptcy.  He said he was not worried 
about electoral losses or parliamentary intrigue; an 
ideological movement needed time to grow.  (Note:  Mollah 
also claimed that Bangladesh's Jamaat had no ties with and 
received no money, official or unofficial, from the 
Jamaat-e-Islami parties of other countries.  However, he was 
well-versed on Pakistan's Jamaat-e-Islami and claimed its 
former leader, Maulana Fazur Rehman, as a friend.  End Note.) 
 
STUDENT WING FOCUSED ON CAMPUS AND POLITICS 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Jamaat's student wing, Bangladesh Islami Chatra 
Shabbir, in contrast, is much more focused on the short-term. 
 The Shabbir leadership is concentrating on politics -- both 
on campus and nationally.  It has organized protests against 
the Awami League government's education policies and holds 
workshops to promote Islam among students.  Shabbir members 
also spend much of their time clashing with the student wings 
of the Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party.  In a 
meeting with a Political Officer, Shabbir leaders were intent 
on showing him picture after picture of fights Shabbir 
members have had with other parties on campuses throughout 
the country and the injuries suffered, they claimed, 
unjustly.  There was no mention of injuries inflicted. 
 
 
DHAKA 00000001  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶7.  (C) Shabbir leaders said their budget was funded solely 
by nominal contributions from its membership and alumni, but 
the high-rent location of Shabbir,s headquarters belies this 
claim.  Faculty members at Dhaka University allege that 
Shabbir, as well as the Awami League and Bangladesh 
Nationalist Party's student wings, regularly shake-down area 
business for money.  Like the other student parties, Shabbir 
serves as a feeder-organization to Jamaat. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶8. (C)    Jamaat,s closed-door majlish and our meetings with 
Jamaat and Shabbir indicate that the organizations remain 
hierarchical with top-down decision making, despite their 
claims that they are internally democratic.  Jamaat,s 
leaders clearly hope that slow and steady wins the race. 
Mission Dhaka will continue to engage with Jamaat and Shabbir 
and track their efforts to transform Bangladesh into a more 
Islamic state. 
Dean