In an unprecedented escalation of Islamist persecution, Jamaat-e-Islami — the Bangladeshi arm of the Muslim Brotherhood — has begun imposing the medieval Jizya tax on Hindus and other religious minorities, openly declaring its intent to replace the country’s secular framework with Sharia law. Backed by Pakistan’s ISI and linked to global jihadist networks including Al Qaeda, Jamaat’s move comes just months after a coup that brought Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to power, triggering a rapid rise in radical Islamic influence. This development not only threatens Bangladesh’s fragile democracy but poses a strategic security risk to South Asia and the wider free world.

From August 1, 2025, Jamaat-e-Islami, an ideological offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood — an organization that denounces women’s empowerment and advocates replacing democracy with Sharia law — has reportedly begun collecting Jizya from Hindus and other religious minorities in Bangladesh.

On July 25, 2025, local media reported that Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, Emir of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, publicly declared that Hindus and non-Muslims must pay this tax in the same way Muslims pay Zakat. Speaking at a public gathering, Dr. Rahman stated:

“Non-Muslims living in Bangladesh should be made to pay the Jizya tax. Since Muslims pay Zakat — a portion of their wealth donated for religious purposes — if equal rights are truly desired, then Hindus should pay Jizya. This is what is correct........

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