Bangladesh Jamaat Backtracks, Quietly Removes Controversial ‘New Logo’ | News18 Impact

Last Updated:October 06, 2025, 08:00 IST

The Jamaat now seems to have removed the new logo from its leader Shafiqur Rahman’s office, where it was first spotted and unveiled during a meeting with the Spanish ambassador

The “new logo” of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami as displayed during a meeting with the Spanish ambassador; (right) the most recent meeting with the new Swiss ambassador, where there is no logo at all, in the background. (Image: News18)

Soon after it came up with a new logo – seen as an effort to undergo cosmetic softening of its stance – the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami seems to have quietly made a U-turn.

This came after News18 reported on the “new logo” for the Jamaat. But the party now seems to have removed it from its leader Shafiqur Rahman’s office, where it was first spotted as he unveiled it during a meeting with Spanish ambassador Gabriel Sistiaga Ochoa de Chinchetru in Dhaka. 

On Sunday (October 5), the Jamaat Ameer met the newly appointed Swiss ambassador to Bangladesh, Reto Renggli. There was no logo – old or new – in the background but only the name of the organisation written in Bangla.

So, why bring in a new logo to soften its image and then remove it after the buzz gains momentum?

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami assistant secretary general AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad said: “The logo of any political party may change. Our logo is at the discussion level, not finalised yet. The logo seen in the meeting is a proposed logo. The matter will be finalised soon.”

But sources in the Jamaat told News18 that the organisation was afraid of a domestic backlash where its softening stance would be seen as pandering to western powers and alienating from Islamic values. With the first national election after former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s fall expected in February 2026 – where the Jamaat is expected to emerge as a kingmaker if not the king with Bangladesh’s hardline streak in domestic polity – the party thought it will be feasible to undo the damage, the sources said. 

But with at least three European Union nations asking the Jamaat to undergo an image overhaul to mainstream it, which will also help it evade terror financing scrutiny in future, it remains to be seen what step it takes next. 

WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND THE LOGO?

Earlier News18 reported that the Jamaat, barred from elections by Bangladesh’s Supreme Court in 2013 and officially outlawed by Hasina’s government in 2024, was preparing to replace its controversial electoral symbol.

For decades, the party’s logo carried the Arabic term “Aakimuddin”, which means “establish Islam”, along with the calligraphic inscription of Allah. The imagery was unmistakably Islamist and reinforced its ideological goal of enforcing sharia.

While the Jamaat tried to change its logo earlier, its hardline alignment meant their formal letterhead continued to stick to the old logos. Its new emblem, which it has since quietly erased, depicted a rising sun, a pen, and a balance scale placed on an open book set against a green background.

Insiders said the makeover is designed to project “knowledge, justice and modernity” – an attempt to escape its Islamist hardliner tag and show that it aligns with democratic values. The Jamaat now faces a simple question – go for an image makeover and be acceptable to key western powers but in the process desert its core base or champion the Islamic cause to stay true to its base while losing political legitimacy.

About the Author

Anindya Banerjee

Anindya Banerjee, Associate Editor brings over fifteen years of journalistic courage to the forefront. With a keen focus on politics and policy, Anindya has garnered a wealth of experience, with deep throat in …Read More

Anindya Banerjee, Associate Editor brings over fifteen years of journalistic courage to the forefront. With a keen focus on politics and policy, Anindya has garnered a wealth of experience, with deep throat in … Read More

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