Bangladesh’s once-banned Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, poised for its strongest electoral performance in nearly two decades, has said it is open to joining a national unity government and has already held talks with multiple political parties.
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In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman said the party was engaging with political stakeholders ahead of the February elections, which will mark Jamaat’s first participation in polls in almost 17 years.
Opinion surveys suggest Jamaat is likely to emerge as a close second behind the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Jamaat last shared power between 2001 and 2006 as a junior coalition partner of the BNP.
The party’s political revival follows the ouster of long-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a youth-led uprising in August 2024. Hasina’s Awami League, which had strongly opposed Jamaat, is now barred from contesting the election.
Jamaat was banned from electoral politics in 2013 after a court ruled its charter violated Bangladesh’s secular constitution. Several of its senior leaders were sentenced to death during Hasina’s tenure over alleged war crimes linked to the 1971 independence war with Pakistan, a conflict Jamaat opposed at the time.
An interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus lifted all restrictions on Jamaat in August 2024, clearing the way for its return to mainstream politics.
Relations with India and Pakistan
Rahman expressed concern over Sheikh Hasina’s continued stay in India after fleeing Dhaka, noting that bilateral ties between Bangladesh and India have reached their lowest point in decades.
India, which had maintained close relations with Hasina, has begun engaging with political parties likely to form the next government. Rahman confirmed meeting an Indian diplomat earlier this year, adding that the official requested confidentiality — unlike diplomats from other countries who met him openly.
“We must be open to all and to each other. There is no alternative to developing our relationship,” Rahman said.
India’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment, though an Indian government source confirmed contacts with various Bangladeshi political parties.
Addressing Jamaat’s historical ties with Pakistan, Rahman said the party seeks balanced relations. “We are never interested in leaning toward any one country. We respect all nations and want balanced relations among them,” he said.
Rahman also stated that any government including Jamaat would be uncomfortable with President Mohammed Shahabuddin, who was elected unopposed in 2023 with Awami League backing. Shahabuddin has previously indicated his willingness to step down midway through his term.
In a telephone conversation with Reuters, President Shahabuddin declined to comment on Jamaat’s position, saying he did not wish to complicate the situation further.
