Khelafat Majlis exits Jamaat-led 11-party alliance

Khelafat Majlis has formally withdrawn from the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance, saying the coalition had fulfilled its purpose following the completion of the national election.

The decision was made during the party's third general session of its Central Majlis-e-Shura, held on Saturday at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh (IDEB) auditorium in Dhaka, according to a statement issued by Publicity Secretary Engineer Abdul Hafiz Khasru.

The party announced that it will no longer take part in any activities or programmes organised under the banner of the 11-party alliance.

However, Khelafat Majlis said it remains willing to join a broader political alliance in the future if such a platform is considered necessary for the interests of the country, the nation and Islam.

Describing the alliance as an electoral arrangement, the statement said its objective had been achieved with the conclusion of the election.

"Although we participated in several alliance programmes after the election, we have now decided to refrain from all future activities under the coalition," the statement said.

The meeting was presided over by Khelafat Majlis Ameer Maulana Abdul Basit Azad and conducted by Secretary General Dr Ahmad Abdul Quader. It was attended by senior leaders, including Naib-e-Ameer Maulana Sakhawat Hossain, Maulana Ahmad Ali Qasemi, Professor Abdullah Farid, Professor Sirajul Haque, Maulana Syed Ferdous Bin Ishaq, Mufti Abdul Hamid, Joint Secretaries General Advocate Jahangir Hossain, Muhammad Muntasir Ali, ABM Sirajul Mamun, Dr Mostafizur Rahman Faisal, Professor Md Abdul Jalil, Organising Secretary Advocate Mizanur Rahman, Mufti Abul Hasan MP, as well as members of the Central Executive Council and Central Majlis-e-Shura.

Party sources said Khelafat Majlis had already begun distancing itself from the alliance after its divisional rally in Chattogram on June 13. It later formally asked the coalition not to use the party's name or those of its leaders in banners or promotional materials for future events.

When the party's name was subsequently used at a rally in Rangpur, Khelafat Majlis raised an objection, leading organisers to remove the reference. Since then, the alliance has not used the party's name in any of its programmes, according to party sources.