Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir

Bangladesh Islami Chhatrashibir (Bengali: বাংলাদেশ ইসলামী ছাত্রশিবির), is an Islamic student organization based in Bangladesh.[3] It was established on 06 February 1977.[4] The organisation is generally understood to be the student wing of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, and several of the leaders of the student organisation have gone on to become notable leaders within Jamaat. The organisation has a significant presence in higher educational institutions of the country such as University of Dhaka, University of Chittagong, Rajshahi University, SUST, BUET, DUET, Medical College.[5][6] Recently however, the student Organisation has been under pressure from the Bangladesh government led by the ruling party Awami League and its student wing, the Bangladesh Chhatra League.[7][5]

Bangladesh Islami Chhatrashibir
বাংলাদেশ ইসলামী ছাত্রশিবির
PresidentRazebur Rahman
Secretary GeneralMonzurul Islam
HeadquartersPurana paltan, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
Ideology"To build the lives of human beings on the exact parameters of Allah's orders and teachings of Prophet Muhammad to seek absolute obedience of Allah"[1]
International affiliation
National affiliationBangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami
Websitebangla.shibir.org.bd
english.shibir.org.bd
arabic.shibir.org.bd
chhatrasangbadbd.com

History

Bangladesh Islami Chhatrashibir was established on 6 February 1977 at the Dhaka University central mosque.[7] Their stated mission is "to seek the pleasure of Allah (SWT) by moulding entire human life in accordance with the code, bestowed by Allah (SWT) and exemplified by His Messenger".[7][5]

Overview

According to the group's policy, their activities are guided by five principles:[8]

  1. Dawah (Calling towards Allah) - Conveying the message of Islam to the students and inspiring them to acquire knowledge and to arouse in them the sense of responsibility to practice Islam in full.
  2. Organization - To organize the students who are ready to partake in the struggle for establishing the Islamic way of life within the fold of this organization.
  3. Training - To take appropriate steps to impart Islamic knowledge among the students integrated under the organization to make them men of character, capable of braving the challenges of Jahilyah and, thus, to prove the superiority of Islam.
  4. Islamic Education Movement and Student-oriented Problems - To struggle for changing the existing system of education on the basis of Islamic values to build up ideal citizens and enhance leadership to solve real problems of the students.
  5. Establishing Islamic Social Order - To strive tooth-and-nail to establish Islamic social order for freeing humanity from all forms of economic exploitation, political oppression and cultural servitude.[8]

Funding

Shibir members, who are students of many educational institutions areas are expected to donate monthly in the name of baitul maal (the party fund).[9][10] There are also several publications that it sells in educational institutions.[10]

Controversy

Bangladesh Liberation War

In 1971, Shibir's predecessor, Islami Chattra Shangha,[11] members of which led the formation of Al-Badr, which was involved in the 1971 killing of Bengali intellectuals; some members of Al-Badr had been convicted and executed by International Crimes Tribunal.[12][13][14][15][16]


Politically motivated attacks

This student group was also involved in violent clashes with other student groups,[10][17] was extremely militant and was linked to rumour numerous acts.[18] The group was linked to a number of larger terrorist organizations, both in Bangladesh and internationally.[18] Shibir activists are known to attack rival political party members by cutting their opponents' tendons.[19][20][21][22]

Armed group designation

In February 2014, US-based defense think tank IHS Jane's published a report titled "IHS Jane's 2013 Global Terrorism & Insurgency Attack Index", where Shibir ranked third in a list of most active non-state armed groups in 2013.[23] Chhatra Shibir protested the study findings, strongly condemning the ranking. Describing Shibir as a non-armed organization, it questioned the source behind the study, and said: “They did not mention any single incident in the report that could prove our involvement with any armed attack.”[24]

Victims of enforced disappearance
Main article: Forced disappearance in Bangladesh

On 5 February 2012 approximately at 1:00 a.m. Al Mukaddas (22), fourth-year student of the Department of Al Fiqah and Mohammad Waliullah (23), a Masters candidate of Dawah and Islamic Studies Department of Islamic University, Bangladesh were allegedly arrested and disappeared by some persons who identified themselves as RAB-4 and DB Police members from Savar.[25][26][27]

Both were members of the Islamic student organization Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir[28] and were allegedly detained by members of the RAB and the Detective Branch (DB) of the Bangladesh Police on 4 February. They have not been heard from since and their whereabouts are unknown. The RAB has denied detaining the two men in a statement to a Bangladeshi newspaper. However, reports from several sources and a pattern of disappearances thought to have been conducted by RAB in recent months cast doubt on RAB's denial.[29][30][31] Amnesty International along with other rights organizations expressed their concern over this issue and called for urgent action[32]

On 5 April 2013 at around 2:25am, members of Rapid Action Battalion-5 arrested Mr. Mohammad Anwarul Islam and Mosammat Nurjahan Begum of Angariapara village in Chapainawabganj from house number 175 of Bil-Shimla Moholla under Rajpara Police Station in Rajshahi district. Later, when family members contacted the RAB-5 office, RAB notified that Anwarul had never been arrested by them. An allegation of enforced disappearance was brought against the members of RAB by Anwarul's family members. Upon inquiry, it was found that Anwarul was a last year Master's student of Mathematics department of Rajshahi College. Moreover, he was the Office Secretary of the Islami Chattra Shibir of Rajshahi district.[33]

Crackdowns

Since 2010, Shibir has been targeted by repeated crackdowns.[34] The Awami League led government insists that it is necessary to maintain public order and stop attacks on police, but Amnesty International sees them as political crackdowns.[35] Since 2010, raids on student residences have been carried out at random and any Shibir supporters found there have been detained. In 2010 Government agencies received orders to conduct operations necessary to identify Shibir elements in educational institutions all around Bangladesh and uproot their influence.[36] Arbitrary arrests as police have made no efforts at the time of arrest to separate ordinary student members of the Chhatra Shibir from those suspected of involvement in the attacks and were denied Legal counsel.[35] On 4 November 2018 Bangladesh police raided at the chittagong city headquarter of Bangladesh Islami Chattra Shibir and later filed case against 90 Chittagong Shibir men over explosives recovery.[37] It was the biggest police crackdowns against Shibir in recent times. Although the organization denied any link to the incident and protested strongly against the case.[38]

See also

References
  1. Mission statement Archived 12 April 2020 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 13 December 2018
  2. "JI launches it youth wing". DAWN. 16 November 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  3. "About | Bangladesh Islami Chhatrashibir". english.shibir.org.bd. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  4. "The Glorious History". Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  5. BIC. বাংলাদেশ ইসলামী ছাত্রশিবিরের গৌরবোজ্জল ইতিহাস'. www.shibiriu.org (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  6. BICS. "The Glorious History'". www.english.shibir.org.bd. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  7. "Constitution-Chapter One". Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  8. "About". Shibir.org.bd. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  9. Mahmud, Tarek (13 September 2011). "Shibir collects tolls from the hostel residents in 2 Ctg colleges". New Age. Dhaka. Archived from the original on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  10. Ali, Anwar (3 March 2010). "Shibir rented out RU hall seats". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  11. "Islami Chhatra Shibir | Terrorist Groups". Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  12. Habib, Haroon (17 July 2013). "Jamaat secretary-general gets death penalty for war crimes". The Hindu. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  13. "Kamaruzzaman led Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams: witness". New Age. Dhaka. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 2013-12-17.
  14. Adhikary, Tuhin Shubhra (10 May 2013). "Key man of Al-Badr". The Daily Star. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  15. "Mirpur butcher Molla must die, says SC". bdnews24.com. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  16. "Mojaheed indicted for genocide, crimes against humanity". New Age. Dhaka. 22 June 2012. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  17. "Islami Chhatra Shibir". Priyo News. Archived from the original on 29 April 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  18. "Terrorist Organization Profile: Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS)". National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism. Archived from the original on 27 July 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  19. "Shibir 'cuts' BCL leader's tendon". bdnews24.com. 31 October 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  20. "Shibir men cut Rajshahi BCL leader's tendon". The Daily Star. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  21. "Shibir cadres cut tendons of RU BCL leader". Dhaka Tribune. 23 August 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  22. "RU BCL activist's foot chopped off". bdnews24.com. 29 April 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014. The Jamaat-Shibir activists are known to cut tendons of their rivals.
  23. Zaman, Sheikh Shahariar (25 February 2014). "Shibir a top non-state armed group: IHS Jane's". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  24. "Shibir protests IHS ranking". Dhaka Tribune. 25 February 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  25. "Odhikar - Two persons were disappeared after being arrested at Savar allegedly by RAB and DB Police". odhikar.org. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  26. "Bangladesh: Enforced disappearance of Messrs. Al Mukaddas and Mohammad Waliullah". www.omct.org. 23 May 2012. Archived from the original on 5 October 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  27. "Two 'missing' IU students still untraced". The Daily Star. 21 February 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  28. "Students still missing after one and a half years since arrest | Progress Bangladesh". progressbangladesh.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  29. "PM's intervention sought to find out two missing IU students". The Daily Observer. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  30. "PM's intervention sought as two IU students remain missing for 5 years". The New Nation. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  31. "2 missing after being 'picked up' by Rab". The Daily Star. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  32. "Urgent Action Authorities Told to Respond Aout Detainees" (PDF). Amnesty International.
  33. "Odhikar - Arrest and enforced disappearance of Mohammad Anwarul Islam by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members". odhikar.org. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  34. Islam, Md Saidul (March 2011). "'Minority Islam' in Muslim Majority Bangladesh". Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs. 31 (1): 133–134. doi:10.1080/13602004.2011.556893. ISSN 1360-2004. Archived from the original on 23 June 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  35. "Bangladesh: politically motivated arbitrary arrests hamper impartial investigation of campus violence" (PDF). Amnesty International. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  36. "Bangladesh Cracks Down on Islami Chhatra Shibir". VOA (in Bengali). Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  37. "Case filed against 90 Chittagong Shibir men over explosives recovery". Dhaka Tribune. 4 November 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  38. isteharbd (3 November 2018), Latest Update of Police Attack at Shibir Office in Chittagong বিস্ফোরণ এর ব‍্যাপারে শিবিরের বক্তব্য, archived from the original on 5 March 2020, retrieved 22 March 2019
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