Ban on religious parties
Recently, some political parties have appealed to the EC to ban religion-based political parties from participating in elections. They argue that the founders of the religion-based parties are war criminals and also that allowing such parties to contest in elections will go against the secular nature of the state. Well, I am not writing in support of any proven war criminal, but I want to assert that the founders of all religion-based parties are not proven war criminals. The spirit of our liberation war was to ensure that every individual has the right to practise his/her respective religion peacefully. The constitution of Bangladesh also guarantees different political parties having different political ideologies to contest in polls with the common people reserving the right to decide which one of them should rule the country.
We know that different political parties have different ideologies. Similarly, the Islamic parties believe in the political ideology of Islam. Islam is a religion that caters to all aspects of human life including political life. We know that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) ruled Medina according to the Islamic constitution and this legacy was carried by the subsequent Caliphs of Islam.
It is up to the people to decide whether to vote for them or not. It will be entirely undemocratic if these parties are not allowed to run in national elections.
Many people have a misconception that in an Islamic state the non-Muslims are not permitted to practise their respective religions peacefully. This is a gross misconception. Islam teaches its followers to deliver others the message of truth but if someone rejects it then Islam doesn't give its followers the right to coerce that person to accept it. So, having Islamic rule in a country doesn't go against the definition and practices of secularism. I do not support political parties who use religion as a bait to hoodwink people and go to power but I do not support any move to bar a party from contesting in polls simply for its ideology. It is absolutely undemocratic.
So, I would urge the EC to bear these facts in mind and not to become undemocratic by banning all religion-based parties from running in polls. Remember, this move goes against the very constitution of Bangladesh.
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