Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has said he held a meeting with an Indian diplomat that was kept confidential at the diplomat’s request, according to an interview he gave to British news agency Reuters.
Rahman said the Indian diplomat asked him to keep the meeting secret, which is why it was not disclosed earlier. He also said Jamaat-e-Islami is considering forming a unity government after the next national election.
In the interview, Rahman outlined Jamaat-e-Islami’s position on relations with India and Pakistan. Expressing concern over strained Bangladesh–India relations following the fall of Sheikh Hasina, he said Hasina’s presence in India remains a major obstacle to improving bilateral ties.
Rahman confirmed that he met an Indian diplomat earlier this year. He said that while diplomats from other countries meet political leaders openly, the Indian representative requested that the meeting be kept confidential.
“We have to be open to everyone. There is no alternative to improving mutual relations,” Rahman said.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs did not immediately comment. However, a source in the Indian government told Reuters that New Delhi is maintaining contacts with various political parties in Bangladesh.
Asked about relations with Pakistan, Rahman said Jamaat does not want to lean toward any particular country and instead seeks balanced relations with all nations.
Speaking from his office in a residential area of Dhaka, Rahman said that if Jamaat-e-Islami wins the national election scheduled for February, it would not seek to form a government alone. Instead, the party is interested in forming a “national consensus government” with multiple political parties. Jamaat, which is returning to mainstream politics after 17 years, has already begun discussions with several parties on the issue.
“We want to see a stable state for at least five years. If the parties agree, then we will all run the government together,” he said.
Rahman emphasized the importance of corruption-free governance, saying the prevention of corruption must be a shared goal of any national consensus government. On leadership, he said the prime minister should come from the party that wins the highest number of seats. He added that if Jamaat secures an absolute majority, the party will decide whether he himself will be its candidate.
In recent months, political circles have been abuzz with discussion about a possible alliance between Jamaat and a Gen Z–led party, the National Citizen Party (NCP). Citing opinion poll data, the Reuters report said Jamaat could finish second in the election after returning to the polls following a 17-year absence, with a relatively narrow gap compared to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which is projected to secure a large victory. Jamaat was previously a partner in the BNP-led four-party alliance government from 2001 to 2006.
Jamaat lost its registration following a court ruling in 2013 and regained legal status under a decision of the interim government after Sheikh Hasina was toppled in a student–mass uprising in August 2024. The party has expressed discomfort with current President Mohammed Shahabuddin. Rahman said Jamaat would not feel comfortable being part of any government that includes a president who was elected unopposed with the backing of the Awami League.
President Shahabuddin earlier told Reuters he was willing to resign midway through his term. However, he told Reuters on Wednesday that he would not comment further, saying he did not want to complicate the issue.
