BNP and Jamaat are making efforts to attract Islamist parties into their alliances

Within a week of Jamaat-e-Islami's Amir meeting with the Amir of Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) in Barishal, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir met with him on Monday, focusing on discussions about the timing of the next election and potential institutional reforms. The meeting between the Jamaat Amir and IAB Amir discussed the possibility of forming an alliance of Islamist parties.

Political observers believe there could be significant political polarization before the upcoming general elections. While the election date has yet to be announced, political parties are already engaging in election-related activities, with both BNP and Jamaat showing efforts to engage Islamist parties. Before meeting the IAB Amir, BNP also had talks with Khelafat Majlis.

On Monday, Mirza Fakhrul met with IAB Amir Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim and Charmonai Pir Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim at the IAB's central office in Purana Paltan. The meeting lasted for hours and resulted in the two parties agreeing on 10 key issues. During the meeting, Mirza Fakhrul offered prayers at the IAB office and had lunch with its leadership, accompanied by BNP Vice Chairman Barkatullah.

Sources suggest that BNP is working to improve relations with the IAB ahead of the elections, primarily aiming to prevent the IAB’s leadership from criticizing the party. The IAB had criticized BNP leaders following the July uprising, which has created tension between the two parties. The issue of Jamaat-e-Islami was also brought up during the discussions.

Although the BNP and IAB did not fully agree on the timing of the elections, they reached consensus on 10 key points, including the rejection of any decision that would go against Islamic Sharia law. The two parties also expressed a willingness to address their differences and work together. However, differences on electoral reforms were evident, particularly regarding the Proportional Representation (PR) system, with the IAB advocating for it and BNP opposing it. The IAB also called for elections to be held within a year, while BNP preferred a July-August timeline.

Regarding Jamaat, the issue was discussed, particularly the ongoing criticisms among political parties in the anti-fascist camp. BNP leaders noted that such mudslinging only benefited the Awami League, while IAB members reminded them that BNP had previously worked with Jamaat, a move they now consider a mistake.

Following nearly two hours of discussions, Mirza Fakhrul outlined the 10-point agreement, which included commitments to national unity, bringing corrupt individuals to justice, holding fair elections after necessary reforms, and addressing the rise in commodity prices. Both parties also agreed to refrain from making remarks that could hurt each other within the anti-fascist camp and to unite against any future fascist forces, particularly the Awami League.

After the meeting, both leaders expressed satisfaction with the discussions, indicating that they had reached common ground on several important issues.

Earlier, Jamaat-e-Islami's Amir Shafiqur Rahman met the IAB Amir in Barishal on 21 January, which set the stage for Mirza Fakhrul’s subsequent meeting with the IAB leadership. Additionally, BNP Secretary General and Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan had a separate meeting with the leadership of Khelafat Majlis on 22 January. BNP is expected to continue its outreach to other religion-based political parties as part of its broader strategy ahead of the election.

Political analysts speculate that BNP is stepping up its engagement with religion-based parties in response to similar efforts by Jamaat ahead of the elections. Following the meeting with Khelafat Majlis, BNP emphasized its intention to build stronger ties with all anti-fascist political groups, particularly those based on religious ideologies.