Jamaat to hold policy summit on 20 Jan

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has decided to organise a policy summit on state governance and various institutional issues, following a decision taken by the party's executive council. 

The Policy Summit 2026 will be held on Tuesday (20 January) from 9am to 5pm at Hotel InterContinental in Shahbagh, Dhaka. Under the slogan "ASPIRING BANGLADESH, Together Let's Build Bangladesh," policy proposals will be presented on six different themes.

Several members of Jamaat's executive council told The Business Standard that the event will not be limited to Jamaat party members. Representatives from civil society, international organisations, diplomats, bureaucrats, military officials, and people from all spheres of the state will be present. 

The programme aims to respond to opposition narratives claiming that Jamaat lacks competent individuals to run the state. Through this summit, the nation will see how experienced and diverse Jamaat's proposed governance team would be, the leaders said.

They said the summit will demonstrate how lessons from the Muslim Brotherhood under Mohamed Morsi can be applied to govern the state while maintaining diversity beyond party boundaries. They stressed that this is not an election manifesto; rather, it is intended to present Jamaat's policy positions ahead of the manifesto.

At a day-long meeting held on Saturday, an analytical report on the failure of Egypt's political party, the Muslim Brotherhood, was discussed.

An expert involved with the policy summit told The Business Standard that Jamaat essentially has two examples before it: the failure of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and the success of Turkey's AK Party under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Jamaat does not want to repeat the Brotherhood's history, nor does it want to make a carbon copy of Turkey. Instead, policies will be shaped in line with the spirit of the 2024 mass uprising, with a focus on anti-discrimination.

He added that policies on six different areas will be presented at the conference, prioritising issues that people are most curious about regarding Jamaat. The core focus will be on how Jamaat intends to govern if it comes to power.

An invitation to the policy summit, signed by Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar, states: "With the vision of building a just, corruption-free and citizen-first Bangladesh, our party, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami (BJI), is hosting Policy Summit 2026 to present and discuss our policy vision for the country and to outline the party's policies and governance agenda for the National Parliament Election 2026. This will include BJI's governance agenda focused on establishing an effective, efficient, transparent and people-oriented Bangladesh."

The invitation further notes: "The Summit will be interactive and participatory, providing a platform for active discussions and recommendations. Honorable political leaders, diplomats, academics, professionals and policy experts will participate in the Summit."

Speaking to The Business Standard about the summit, Jamaat-e-Islami's Assistant Secretary General Ehsanul Mahbub Zobayer said the policy summit will present the party's proposed framework on the fundamental principles required to run a state. Representatives from civil society, diplomats, subject-matter experts, and senior journalists will attend.

He added that the policy summit will offer a comprehensive overview of how Jamaat-e-Islami intends to govern the country.