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Bangladesh's Islamist Resurgence: Moral Populism Fills Political Void

A report warns of a resurgence in Islamist mobilisation in Bangladesh under the banner of Tawhidi Janata. This movement is not a formal militant group but a morally-driven coercive populism that flourishes in institutional voids. It emerged prominently following the ouster of long-time leader Sheikh Hasina in 2024, creating a political and moral authority vacuum. The group operates through crowds and moral pressure, publicly policing behavior and targeting events, challenging the state's authority.

Key Points: Islamist Mobilisation Rises in Post-Hasina Bangladesh

  • Tawhidi Janata is a coercive moral populism
  • It exploits political vacuum after Hasina's ouster
  • Operates via crowds, symbolism, not formal structure
  • Publicly targets "un-Islamic" values and events
  • Tests state limits through visible activism
3 min read

Bangladesh faces resurgence of Islamist mobilisation: Report

Report details the rise of Tawhidi Janata, a coercive moral populism exploiting institutional weakness and political crisis in Bangladesh.

"The challenge is... whether authority will be reclaimed through law and democratic legitimacy, or surrendered to those claiming moral supremacy through the crowd. - The Interpreter report"

Canberra, Jan 17

The revival of Tawhidi Janata - a loosely defined Islamist mobilisation in Bangladesh - is not through organised militancy but represents a morally driven form of coercive populism that flourishes where institutions falter, law enforcement weakens, and questions over political legitimacy persist, a report has stated.

It added that by functioning openly and presenting the targetting of un-Islamic values as a religious obligation, this mobilisation enables evasion of immediate repression while reshaping public space.

According to a report in Australia-based 'The Interpreter', for nearly 16 years, the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government in Bangladesh combined elections, a strong security apparatus, and a state-endorsed secular "Bengali nationalism" while suppressing, co-opting or fragmenting Islamist parties and religious networks.

"Public religiosity was tolerated, but political Islam outside state control was tightly managed. While this limited overt confrontation, it did not erase religious politics; it pushed it into informal, depoliticised spaces. When the system collapsed in August 2024 with Hasina's ouster, it exposed not only a political vacuum but also a crisis of moral authority," it stated.

In the power vacuum following Hasina's ouster, the report said, Tawhidi Janata emerged, invoking religious duty to influence public life.

"It is not a formal organisation but a label under which disparate actors converge, intervening in public spaces, policing behaviour, disrupting cultural activities, and targetting women-centric events. Its power lies in ambiguity: without leadership or formal structures, it operates through crowds, symbolism, and moral pressure rather than institutional presence," it mentioned.

The report highlighted that alleged supporters of Tawhidi Janata have carried out acts of direct violence across Bangladesh.

"In September 2025, a mob clashed with police in Rajbari, attacking a shrine and exhuming and burning a dead body, leaving one person dead and many injured. In Dhaka, a crowd occupied a police station demanding the release of a man detained for harassing a woman about her "inappropriate" clothing, all the while livestreaming the event," it detailed.

"These episodes reflect a shift from clandestine to visible moral activism. Emphasis is on presence - occupying streets, intimidating institutions, and testing state limits. Economic stress and declining trust in politics amplify these episodes, particularly among youth," it further stated.

Asserting that the emergence of Tawhidi Janata serves as a warning for Bangladesh's transition, the report said, "The challenge is no longer only electoral or constitutional; it is whether authority will be reclaimed through law and democratic legitimacy, or surrendered to those claiming moral supremacy through the crowd."

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
The part about targeting women-centric events is terrifying. Moral policing in the name of religion is the oldest trick to control society, especially women. Bangladesh has made so much progress in women's empowerment and garment exports. Hope they don't go backwards. 🙏
R
Rohit P
"A crisis of moral authority" – that phrase hits hard. When people lose faith in their government and institutions, they look elsewhere for guidance, even if it's to mobs. This is why strong, transparent institutions are non-negotiable. Not just in Bangladesh, but something we in India must constantly guard for too.
S
Sarah B
Reading this from an international perspective. The report's analysis about "coercive populism" flourishing where institutions falter is spot on. It's a global pattern. The livestreaming of the police station occupation shows how these groups use modern tools for medieval aims. A dangerous combo.
V
Vikram M
As an Indian, our primary concern is security. A volatile Bangladesh with armed mobs challenging the state is a direct threat. Our borders are porous. The government needs to watch this very, very closely. Hope the authorities there can restore order through lawful means, not more suppression.
K
Kavya N
While the actions of this Tawhidi Janata are condemnable, the report also implicitly criticizes the long Hasina rule for creating this vacuum. For 16 years, opposition was crushed. Now the bill has come due. It's a cautionary tale about the dangers of one-party dominance, no matter how "secular" it claims to be.

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