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A once-banned Bangladeshi Islamist party, poised for its strongest electoral showing successful polls successful February, is unfastened to joining a unity authorities and has held talks with respective parties, its main told Reuters connected Wednesday (December 31, 2025).
Opinion polls suggest that Jamaat-e-Islami volition decorativeness a adjacent 2nd to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) successful the archetypal predetermination it has contested successful astir 17 years arsenic it marks a instrumentality to mainstream authorities successful the predominantly Muslim federation of 175 million. Jamaat past held powerfulness betwixt 2001 and 2006 arsenic a inferior conjugation spouse with the BNP.
“We privation to spot a unchangeable federation for astatine slightest 5 years. If the parties travel together, we’ll tally the authorities together,” Jamaat Ameer (President) Shafiqur Rahman said successful an interrogation astatine his bureau successful a residential country successful Dhaka, days aft the enactment created a buzz by securing a tie-up with a Gen-Z party.
Anti-corruption plank
Jamaat advocates Islamic governance nether sharia instrumentality but has sought to broaden its entreaty beyond its blimpish base. Mr. Rahman said anti-corruption indispensable beryllium a shared docket for immoderate unity government.
The Prime Minister volition travel from the enactment winning the astir seats, helium added. If Jamaat wins the astir seats, the enactment volition determine whether helium himself would beryllium a candidate, Mr. Rahman said.
The party’s resurgence follows the ouster of long-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina successful a youth-led uprising successful August 2024. Ms. Hasina, whose Awami League enactment is present barred from the election, was a fierce professional of Jamaat, and during her tenure, respective of its leaders were sentenced to decease for alleged warfare crimes during the 1971 independency struggle with Pakistan, a warfare Jamaat opposed.
Jamaat had been banned from elections since 2013 aft a tribunal ruled its charter violated the country’s secular constitution. An interim authorities led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus lifted each restrictions connected the enactment successful August 2024.
Ties with India and Pakistan
Mr. Rahman said Ms. Hasina’s continued enactment successful India aft fleeing Dhaka was a concern, arsenic ties betwixt the 2 countries person deed their lowest constituent successful decades since her downfall. India, South Asia’s biggest power, had cultivated a adjacent moving narration with Mr. Hasina, helping grow concern and commercialized ties betwixt the neighbours.
As New Delhi seeks to prosecute parties that could signifier the adjacent government, Mr. Rahman confirmed gathering an Indian diplomat earlier this year. Unlike diplomats from different countries who visited him openly, the Indian authoritative asked that the gathering stay confidential, Mr. Rahman said.
“We indispensable go unfastened to each and to each other. There is nary alternate to processing our relationship,” helium said.
The Ministry of External Affairs did not instantly respond to a petition for comment connected Mr. Rahman’s statement. But an Indian authorities root confirmed contacts with assorted parties.
Asked astir Jamaat’s humanities closeness to Pakistan, Mr. Rahman said: “We support relations successful a balanced mode with all. We are ne'er funny successful leaning toward immoderate 1 country. Rather, we respect each and privation balanced relations among nations.”
He said immoderate authorities that includes Jamaat would “not consciousness comfortable” with President Mohammed Shahabuddin, who was elected unopposed with the Awami League’s backing successful 2023. Mr. Shahabuddin, the ceremonial caput of the country, himself told Reuters earlier this period that helium was consenting to measurement down midway done his term.
Mr. Shahabuddin, successful a telephone speech with Reuters connected Wednesday (December 31, 2025), declined to remark connected Mr. Rahman’s position, saying helium did not privation to “complicate the substance further”.
