Jamaat's Covert Rise: How Islamist Force Seized Power in Bangladesh Post-Hasina

• Jamaat-i-Islami, founded in 1941, played a key role in the 1971 genocide and has a deceptive electoral history, with a 4.7% vote share in 2008.
• Despite crackdowns under Sheikh Hasina, Jamaat's registered membership surged from 6,000 in 2013 to an estimated 27,000 in 2024.
• Surveys by Innovision Consulting and IRI in 2025 project Jamaat could secure 26-30% of votes in upcoming elections, potentially more in an alliance.
• Jamaat allegedly orchestrated Hasina's downfall, using students as a front, then manipulated Muhammad Yunus and exploited the NCP, while projecting a secular image.
• The group is accused of inviting Pakistan's ISI, setting up radicalization camps, and pushing anti-India sentiments, aiming to reverse Bangladesh's progress.

Why It Matters: Jamaat-i-Islami has strategically consolidated power in Bangladesh, threatening its democratic and secular foundations.