Jamaat Amir Returns Home, Says 'We Want to See February Election with Everyone'

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Publish : 04 Nov 2025, 09:55 AM

Photo: Collected

Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has cautioned political parties, stating that while differences of opinion are natural, they must not escalate into conflict.

He declared, "We, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, want to see the election in February with everyone involved."

The Jamaat Amir also announced that the party's final list of nominees for the national election would not be published unilaterally, but would instead accommodate many other parties and be released at the appropriate time.

Dr. Shafiqur Rahman returned home early Tuesday (November 4) after performing the holy Umrah in Saudi Arabia and concluding official tours of the United States and the United Kingdom.

He made the remarks at a brief press briefing held at the VIP gate of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 6:00 AM.

The Jamaat Amir said, "I left the country on the 19th of last month for Umrah. After completing Umrah in three days, I arrived in America on October 22. I held meetings with important government and private individuals for eight days. I also met with a large number of Bangladeshi expatriates living there. I had the opportunity to listen to them. I assured them on various matters. Specifically, I gave them one message: Bangladesh belongs to all of us. The country has been liberated from fascist rule after years of deprivation and oppression. The fight of the expatriates was also significant there. We were the first to raise the issue of expatriates' voting rights, and we have not dropped it. We have spoken about it in all important places, including the Chief Advisor’s Office and the Election Commission."

"I thank the government and the Election Commission for taking the initiative this time to widely involve expatriates in the voter list. However, some problems remain. The deadline was set until October 30. The software that was installed did not work properly. Consequently, many could not register as voters despite their enthusiasm and efforts."

He made a demand to the Election Commission, stating, "We urge that the deadline be extended by at least 15 more days. The complexities that exist should be simplified. The conditions that have been imposed should be relaxed. A citizen's NID is sufficient for proof, and alongside a valid passport, nothing else should be necessary. We call for these processes to be made easier."

Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said that expatriates will participate in the governance and nation-building of the country, including in the national parliament, through the PR (Proportional Representation) system. "It might take time, but it will be ensured, Insha'Allah. This is our dream."

"After touring America, I visited the United Kingdom and Turkey and returned home today. We seek a respectful relationship with everyone in the world based on mutual respect and equality. Everywhere we went, we received interest and respect."

When asked when Jamaat would announce its nomination list, following the BNP's announcement yesterday, he replied, "I heard what the BNP did is also not final. They published a list of nominations for 237 seats, but they said it is not final. There may be changes even within that."

Regarding Jamaat's nomination, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said, "We informed the regional bodies of our list a year ago. We will announce the final list at the appropriate time." He added, "Jamaat-e-Islami will not contest alone; we will accommodate many others in the interest of the country and the nation. Considering all aspects, the final list of candidates for the national parliament election will be announced in due course."

When asked about rumors of a meeting with BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in London, he dismissed it, saying, "You heard, I didn't."

Regarding the apparent disagreements among anti-fascist political parties, he said, "Let there be disagreement, but not dispute. Differences of opinion will exist. This is the beauty of democracy. We respect everyone's opinion. It is natural for all parties to have different perspectives. This does not mean that the country is unstable due to conflict stemming from disagreement—I am not ready to accept that."

Responding to the government's recent call for political parties to discuss and inform the government within a week, the Jamaat Amir said, "The government did not set a deadline, they made a request. If the political parties can reach a consensus, it will be good for the government. We were the first to call for this; our Naib-e-Amir, Taher, called for a resolution in the interest of the country and nation through open discussion. I hope others will respond to this call."

Among those present were Naib-e-Amirs Professor Mujibur Rahman and Maulana A. N. M. Shamsul Islam, Secretary General Professor Mia Golam Parwar, Assistant Secretary Generals ATM Masum, Maulana Abdul Halim, Rafiqul Islam Khan, Hamidur Rahman Azad, Central Publicity and Media Affairs Secretary Motiur Rahman Akand, Central Executive Council Member Saiful Alam Khan Milan, Mobarak Hossain, Central Executive Council Member and Dhaka Metropolitan South Amir Nurul Islam Bulbul, Central Executive Council Member and Dhaka Metropolitan North Amir Mohammad Selim Uddin, and regional Jamaat leaders from Uttara.

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