United Nations' Assistant Secretary General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco met with Jamaat-e-Islami and is said to have talked about the upcoming national elections.
The meeting took place on Monday morning, Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Abdur Razzak briefed the media afterwards.
“We discussed how a participatory, free, fair and acceptable election can be held,” Abdur Razzak said. “If a level playing field is not restored, we think the crisis will continue.”
Jamaat is no longer a legal political party with their registration being scrapped recently.
Among those present in the meeting were Jamaat leaders Jasimuddin Sarkar, Abdullah Mohammad Taher and Mir Ahmed Bin Kashem.
The envoy is in Bangladesh on deputation of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for what is being said "to broker a political deal" ahead of the elections.
On Sunday, Taranco met Jatiya Party, the Chief Election Commissioner, the civil society and has visited the prime minister's office.
He had earlier asked the prime minister if the January 5 elections can be deferred. He supported polls under the constitution but observed the need for a level-playing field.
A day after this meeting, Awami League said they had no problem were the elections to be deferred.
Taranco also is said to have requested the Election Commission to defer the polls date, CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad said “everything is possible if legal.”
Thursday, June 04, 2026
