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The new logo came up in a meeting between Jamaat and the Spanish ambassador, triggering buzz of the international community encouraging Jamaat’s re-entry into Bangladesh politics
Jamaat is working on a new emblem—a rising sun, a pen, and a balance scale placed on an open book, set against a green background. (News18)
Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami, long accused of radical politics and violent extremism, is quietly attempting an image makeover and foreign players may be playing a role in the exercise.
Highly placed sources told News18 that Jamaat, barred from elections by Bangladesh’s Supreme Court in 2013 and officially outlawed by then prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s government in 2024, is preparing to replace its controversial electoral symbol. For decades, the party’s logo carried the Arabic term “Aakimuddin”, which meant “establish Islam”, along with the calligraphic inscription of Allah. The imagery was unmistakably Islamist and reinforced its ideological goal of enforcing Sharia.
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While Jamaat tried to change its logo earlier, its hard-line alignment meant formal letterheads continued to stick to the old logos.
Now, in a dramatic shift, Jamaat is working on a new emblem—a rising sun, a pen, and a balance scale placed on an open book, set against a green background. The makeover, insiders say, is designed to project “knowledge, justice and modernity”—an attempt to escape its Islamist hardliner tag and show that it aligns with democratic values.
What makes the move politically explosive is where it was discussed. Sources revealed that the proposed logo came up in a meeting between Jamaat’s Ameer Shafiqur Rahman and Spanish ambassador Gabriel Sistiaga Ochoa de Chinchetru in Dhaka. The unusual diplomatic engagement has triggered intense speculation in political circles: is a section of the international community quietly encouraging Jamaat’s re-entry into Bangladesh’s political mainstream?
While the new logo has not been finalised yet, it is one of the top few picks that was shown to foreign diplomats.
The perception created is that this is not just about a logo. Rather it’s a calculated exercise in political sanitisation. But what should worry South block is foreign actors appear to be testing waters, exploring if Jamaat can be repackaged as a legitimate force ahead of any future political churn.
What should be a cause for concern for New Delhi was the recent student body election results in Dhaka University. The student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami scored a sweeping victory on September 10 this year, marking the first win for an Islamist student group since Bangladesh’s independence in 1971. It prompted former external affairs MoS Shashi Tharoor to sound alarm bells and the Congress veteran said India “cannot afford to look away”, with national elections approaching in February next year.
For the ruling Awami League, which has used the ban on Jamaat as both a legal and political weapon, the development raises concerns of renewed foreign meddling in domestic politics. Critics within Dhaka’s policy circles point out that cosmetic changes cannot erase Jamaat’s historical role—from siding with the Pakistan Army during the 1971 Liberation War to fostering radical Islamist networks in later decades.
Still, Jamaat’s new strategy is clear: rebrand itself to appear acceptable to Gen Z Bangladeshis, international observers and, eventually, electoral politics. With diplomatic interest now in the picture, the battle over Jamaat’s political resurrection could move beyond Bangladesh’s borders and India really cannot afford to “look away”.
About the Author
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
Dhaka, Bangladesh
October 02, 2025, 14:27 IST
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