On Wednesday, April 16, Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Dr. Shafiqur Rahman met with Nicole N. Chulick, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Bureau at a residence in Gulshan. During the meet, Jamaat’s Secretary General and former MP Professor Mia Golam Porwar, Central Executive Committee member Mobarak Hossain, and Jamaat Ameer’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs Dr. Mahmudul Hasan accompanied Dr. Shafiqur Rahman.

After the meeting, during a brief press briefing, Jamaat Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said, “We had an open discussion with them. They inquired about the current political situation in Bangladesh. They asked when the next election would be held and how it would be conducted. They also wanted to know about the reforms, which all parties are calling for—what those reforms might look like and what we envision. If we are entrusted with the responsibility of running the country in the future, what would our economic policies and foreign relations look like? They asked us about various regional issues as well. We discussed all these matters with them openly. They also raised issues related to the rights of the minorities, women and the labors. We had conversations with them on all of these topics.

In addition, we requested them to reconsider the 37% tariff currently imposed by the incumbent US administration as our country is going through a critical juncture and facing a crucial time. We urged them to convey our request to President Trump’s administration.

Jamaat Ameer further said, “We practice democracy within our party and we want to see democracy flourish in our country as well. We will do what is necessary to make that happen. For example, we told them that we have participated in every credible election. Whether our representation was more or less, we have had members in Parliament. At the same time, when elections had become meaningless during Ershad’s regime, the then Ameer of Jamaat, Professor Ghulam Azam, revived the electoral process by proposing the caretaker government formula, which was later incorporated into the Constitution of Bangladesh.

Unfortunately, when the Awami League came to power, they scrapped it for their partisan interests. Now, the entire nation is demanding its reinstatement, and we hope it will be included in the Constitution once again.

We want the upcoming elections to be held on a fair basis. We have already said this repeatedly, and you are aware of it. You also know why we are making this demand.”

He said, “They wanted to know when the election might be held. We told them that the chief advisor of the government has said the election will be held either in December of this year or by June of next year. We hope the election will be held within that timeframe. However, it would be better if it takes place before the upcoming Ramadan. If the election is held around June, there could be issues due to the monsoon season, storms, and other natural disasters. There’s a risk that the election might get postponed because of such adverse weather. That’s why we prefer that the election takes place before such risks arise.”

Regarding justice for the Awami League’s ill-actions, the Jamaat Ameer said, “The nation is still traumatized! Many of the injured and maimed are still lying in hospitals. Mothers, children, and wives of the martyrs are still crying. In such a situation, the Awami League must be brought to justice. However, we demand fair and appropriate justice and due punishment of the offenders.”