Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has rejected Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s response to its recent study on political party governance, describing it as misleading and an attempt to distort the findings on women’s representation.
In a statement issued today (3 November), the anti-corruption watchdog said Jamaat had cited information unrelated to the scope of its research to dismiss findings in the report titled Institutional Governance of Political Parties in Bangladesh.
TIB also described the party’s claim that separate committees for women demonstrate their inclusion at all levels as a deceptive exercise, arguing that such arrangements do not ensure women’s meaningful participation in decision-making.
However, the organisation welcomed Jamaat’s decision to review the research findings seriously.
Dispute over women’s representation
The study examined compliance with Section 90B(1)(b)(a) of the Representation of the People Order (RPO), 1972, which requires political parties to set a target of reserving at least 33% of committee positions at all levels for women and achieve it in phases by 2030.
TIB said its analysis of women’s representation in central committees revealed significant shortcomings in meeting the requirement.
For the study, the central committee was defined as the central or national executive committee, executive council or executive body. Researchers examined the corresponding executive body of each political party to maintain consistency.
According to information published on Jamaat’s website, its 19-member central executive council for 2023–25 had no women members.
TIB said this was a clear violation of the relevant RPO provision requiring women’s representation on party committees.
In its response, Jamaat cited 21 women members of its central working committee, 122 women members of its central Majlis-e-Shura and a claim that women account for around 43% of its rukons or party members.
TIB said these figures were irrelevant to the study, which specifically assessed women’s representation in central executive bodies, rather than national councils, conventions or Majlis-e-Shura.
The RPO does not set a quota for the overall number of women in a political party. Instead, it focuses on the inclusion of women from among party activists in the party’s various committees, the organisation said.
Separate committees do not ensure inclusion
TIB also pointed out that Jamaat’s constitution provides for separate women’s committees at every organisational level to conduct activities among female members.
Under this arrangement, the party maintains separate committees for men and women at each level, along with separate Majlis-e-Shura and working committees for women.
However, Jamaat has no separate central executive council for women, and no woman has been included in its central executive council, TIB said.
Women are also excluded from key leadership positions, including Ameer-e-Jamaat, Naib-e-Ameer, secretary general and assistant secretary general, the watchdog added.
TIB argued that confining women’s political activities to separate organisational structures does not constitute meaningful participation in party decision-making and instead restricts them to a limited sphere of activity.
The study also found that Jamaat had not nominated a single woman candidate in any constituency for the 13th national parliamentary election.
TIB questioned why the party had not nominated even one woman from among its membership despite claiming that women make up around 43% of its members. Jamaat’s response did not address this issue, it said.
TIB flags constitutional concerns
Beyond women’s representation, the watchdog raised concerns over several provisions of Jamaat’s constitution, which it said were inconsistent with different articles of the Constitution of Bangladesh.
These include provisions on establishing society based on the fundamental beliefs and spirit of Islam; rejecting anyone other than Allah as the sovereign authority; rejecting social, economic and political rules and practices not based on divine directives; and avoiding association with institutions considered contrary to Islamic beliefs.
TIB also questioned the separate membership conditions for Muslim and non-Muslim citizens, including provisions allowing non-Muslims to become associate members or members subject to agreement with the party’s political and economic programmes.
The organisation further flagged Jamaat’s separate organisational structures and activities for women.
According to TIB, these provisions conflict with constitutional principles concerning the people’s ownership of all state power, secularism, religious freedom and non-discrimination on grounds including religion and gender.
The watchdog said there was no basis for Jamaat to describe the research findings on women’s representation in its central executive council as false or misleading.
Instead, the party’s response appeared to be an attempt to deny the findings and obscure its actual organisational practices by citing information outside the scope of the research, it added.
TIB defends research methodology
TIB urged Jamaat and other political parties to take the study’s findings seriously and undertake institutional reforms in line with its recommendations.
Defending its research process, the organisation said the study followed internationally recognised social science methodologies.
Researchers cross-checked primary information against data from direct and indirect sources and verified findings through available channels to ensure accuracy and reliability, it said.
For the study, TIB interviewed representatives nominated or assigned by political parties at the central level, party leaders and activists, Election Commission officials, political analysts, academics and researchers.
It also collected and verified information from party websites and offices, media reports, research papers and books, the statement added.
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