Jamaat-e-Islami is always ahead of its major political ally BNP, when it comes to greater kinship and closer ties to Pakistan’s military intelligence, according to findings of a counterintelligence investigation.
Jamaat leaders carry out political and organizational activities following Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency directives, according to investigations conducted in light of the agency’s recently amped up activities and involvement in Bangladesh politics.
According to the Bangladesh intelligence community, the top brass of BNP and Jamaat in a bid to sway the polls results in their favour, have been in close contact with ISI regularly ahead of the 11th general election.
Even after losing its registration as a political party in Bangladesh in 2013, Jamaat is fielding at least 25 candidates in the December 30 polls with BNP’s blessing.
ISI-Jamaat meeting
Launched after a recently leaked telephone conversation between senior BNP leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and ISI agent Shahid Mehmood Md Sharif, investigations have found that Mehmood and other ISI agents met with Jamaat Secretary General Dr Shafiqur Rahman and other party leaders in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on May 25 and 26.
At the meeting, Shafiqur discussed Bangladesh’s political situation and future strategies for the upcoming election, promised to maintain regular contact with ISI, and to meet again to discuss their financial needs after talking to his party chief.
He assured ISI that Jamaat will maintain its alliance with BNP at any cost, and hoped the Pakistani agency’s help in ensuring the sharing of seats with BNP during the polls will continue.
The Jamaat leader had also urged Pakistan to play a role in rallying international pressure, including from China, on the Awami League government as well.
Jamaat Secretary General Shafiqur was unavailable for comments regarding their ties to ISI found by Bangladesh’s counter intelligence agencies.
The party’s Nayeb-e-Ameer, Mia Golam Parwar, brushed off the accusations, saying Shafiqur had gone to Saudi Arabia in May to perform Umrah.
“We do not rely on any foreign intelligence agency to be in the political arena. We are not in contact with anybody,” he said.