Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) said that a recent statement made by the secretary‑general of Bangladesh Jamaat‑e‑Islami concerning the organisation’s research report, “Institutional Governance of Political Parties in Bangladesh,” is misleading and contrary to the facts.

The anti-graft watchdog also described as misleading Jamaat's claim that separate committees for women ensure their inclusion at all levels of the party. The watchdog stated that the move was merely an attempt to show nominal compliance with the Representation of the People Order (RPO) of 1972.

Expressing surprise at the party's attempt to dismiss the research findings as false, TIB, however, appreciated Jamaat for reviewing the report seriously.

According to TIB's research, Section 90B(1)(b)(ii) of the RPO, 1972, requires political parties to set a target of reserving at least 33% of committee positions at every organisational level for women and achieve the target gradually by 2030.

However, an analysis of women's representation in the central committees of political parties reveals significant gaps in compliance with this provision, TIB stated.

For the study, the term "central committee" referred to a party's central or national executive committee, central executive council, or central executive body. TIB collected information on comparable committees across all political parties.

According to information published on Jamaat's website, the party's 19-member Central Executive Council for 2023-25 has no female members. This constitutes a clear violation of the relevant Representation of the People Order (RPO) provision, which requires women's representation in every committee, the organisation said.

In its statement, Jamaat claimed that its Central Working Committee includes 21 female members and its Central Majlish-e-Shura includes 122 female members. The organisation also stated that women account for approximately 43% of its rukuns, or members.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) clarified that its research focused exclusively on women's representation in central executive committees or councils, rather than in national or central councils, conventions, or the Majlish-e-Shura.

The RPO does not specify how many women a political party must have as members, TIB stated. Instead, the law requires parties to ensure representation for women in their committees.

Therefore, citing such unrelated examples in the secretary general's statement amounts to a distortion of facts, it added.

The TIB further stated that other political parties in Bangladesh maintain a single committee at each organisational level, with varying degrees of women's representation.

The constitution of Jamaat, however, establishes separate committees for women at every organizational level in order to conduct activities exclusively among female members.

This means the party maintains one committee for men and another for women at each level. It also has separate Majlish-e-Shura and working committees for women.

However, the party has no separate central executive council for women, nor does its central executive council include any female member, TIB reported.

The watchdog also observed that women are excluded from key leadership positions, including those of Ameer-e-Jamaat, Naib-e-Ameer, secretary general, and assistant secretary general.

Maintaining separate committees to conduct political activities exclusively among women does not ensure their meaningful inclusion in a party's overall organisational structure, according to TIB. The organization stated that rather than fostering true inclusion, such an approach confines women to a limited sphere.

Presenting these separate committees as evidence of women's inclusion in the party is therefore misleading, it added.

The research also revealed that Jamaat did not nominate a single female candidate in any constituency for the 13th parliamentary election.

The TIB stated that although the party claims women comprise approximately 43 percent of its membership, it did not nominate any female candidates to contest the election. Jamaat, however, did not address this issue in its statement, according to the TIB.

The watchdog also pointed out that several provisions of Jamaat's constitution appear to conflict with various articles of the Constitution of Bangladesh.

These include provisions on building a society based on the fundamental beliefs and principles of Islam; rejecting sovereignty by anyone other than Allah; rejecting social, economic, and political principles and practices not based on divine laws; and avoiding relations with institutions considered contrary to Islamic beliefs. Other provisions concern granting associate or full membership to non-Muslim citizens subject to their agreement with the party's political and economic programmes, imposing different membership conditions on Muslim and non-Muslim citizens, and maintaining separate organisational wings and activities for women.

TIB stated that these provisions were inconsistent with constitutional principles, including the sovereignty of the people, secularism, religious freedom, and non-discrimination on the grounds of religion and gender.

The organisation stated that there was no basis for Jamaat to describe its findings regarding women's representation on the party's central committee as "false" or "misleading."

TIB stated that the party was instead attempting to deny the findings and obscure its actual political practices by citing irrelevant information.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) called on Jamaat-e-Islami and all other political parties to take the research findings seriously and undertake institutional reforms in accordance with the report's recommendations.

Regarding its research methodology, TIB stated that it utilizes internationally recognized research methods commonly employed in the social sciences. To guarantee the reliability and precision of its findings, the organization cross-checks primary data with information gathered from a variety of direct and indirect sources, verifying the data at multiple stages.

For the study, TIB conducted interviews with representatives who were responsible for or nominated by political parties at the central level, alongside party leaders and activists, Election Commission officials, political analysts, teachers, and researchers.

It also gathered and verified information from the websites and offices of political parties, as well as from media reports, research papers, and books.

Why it matters

The dispute highlights ongoing transparency and governance compliance challenges regarding women's representation within major political parties in Bangladesh.