Joint press brief breach of political norms, Jamaat says, questioning CA’s partiality
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has described the joint press briefing following the meeting between Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman in London as a breach of political norms.
The Islamist political party said the meeting between the two was "understandable" given the chief adviser's ongoing consultations with various political parties, but issuing a joint statement after it was not appropriate.
"We believe that holding a joint press briefing abroad and issuing a joint statement on the subject of a meeting with a political party deviates from Bangladeshi political norms. Through this, he has expressed special affection for a party, which has undermined his impartiality," Jamaat said in a statement today.
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Calling on the CA to clarify his role before the nation to resolve doubts that have arisen regarding the elections, it said, "We believe that it would have been more appropriate for the chief adviser to return home and consult with other political parties before making public statements on such matters."
Through the statement, Jamaat emphasised that "as the head of an interim government, it is morally inappropriate to hold a joint press briefing with a single party," and added that such actions have raised doubts among the public about the fairness and neutrality of the upcoming election process.
The statement came after a meeting of the party's central executive council was held on Saturday morning at the party's central office, which was chaired by the party's Ameer Shafiqur Rahman.
The party also said its Ameer Shafiqur Rahman had earlier expressed Jamaat's stance on the election timing during a briefing with journalists after a meeting with a foreign mission on 16 April, suggesting that elections could be held in February 2026, ahead of Ramadan.
"In a country with numerous active political parties, engaging with only one party cannot be deemed a proper approach to determining the nation's political future," the statement said.
