The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Saturday criticised the holding of a joint press briefing and issuing a joint statement in London after a meeting between chief adviser Muhammad Yunus and Bangladesh Nationalist Party acting chairman Tarique Rahman there.
Jamaat termed the incidents during Yunus’s London visit, after the chief adviser’s June 6 announcement of election in the first half of April 2026, a ‘deviation from the country’s political culture.’
The party, in a statement issued after a meeting of the central executive council, chaired by Jamaat Amir Shafiqur Rahman, said that the chief adviser, through the incidents, had shown ‘passion for a specific party’ which had undermined his neutrality.
The meeting between the chief adviser and the BNP acting chairman took place on Friday at The Dorchester Hotel in London, where both leaders reportedly agreed that the next national election could be held in mid-February 2026. A joint statement was issued after the meeting.
Jamaat believed that the chief adviser should have expressed his views only after returning to the country and consulting with other political parties.
‘When many political parties are active in Bangladesh, making decisions on national political matters in consultation with only one party cannot be deemed appropriate,’ the Jamaat statement said.
Jamaat said that the interim government must ensure neutrality and create a level playing field to guarantee a free, fair, and acceptable election.
‘Jamaat holds the view that the joint press briefing with a single political party has raised concerns among the public about the fairness and credibility of the upcoming election,’ the statement said.
On April 16, Jamaat Amir Shafiqur Rahman, during a briefing with reporters, said that the party’s expectation was that the national election could take place in February 2026, prior to the month of Ramadan.
Bangladesh Islami Andolan on Friday in a separate statement said that it was inappropriate for the state to issue a joint statement with a political party.
The statement said that it was not right to make national political decisions based on the opinion of just one party, as Tarique Rahman represents only BNP, not the whole country.
