Secret meeting with Indian diplomat: What Jamaat Ameer said

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has admitted to a secret meeting with an Indian diplomat. In an interview with the British news agency Reuters, he said that the meeting was held earlier this year and the matter was kept secret at the request of the Indian diplomat.

A Reuters report on Wednesday (December 31) said that New Delhi is trying to increase contact with political parties that can form a government in Bangladesh in the future. As part of this, an Indian diplomat met with the Jamaat Ameer, said Dr. Shafiqur Rahman.

He said that diplomats from other countries met with him publicly, but the Indian official requested that the meeting be kept secret. Therefore, the matter was not made public.

In the interview, the Jamaat Ameer also said that his party is thinking about the possibility of forming a unity government after the next national elections. He said, “We must develop open relations with everyone and among ourselves. There is no alternative to improving relations.”

Regarding relations with India, he said, “We must all be open with each other. There is no other option but to improve relations.”

Although Reuters contacted the Indian Foreign Ministry on this issue, they did not directly confirm the meeting of any diplomat with the Jamaat Ameer. However, an Indian government source said that they are in touch with various political parties in Bangladesh.

In response to a question about relations with Pakistan, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said that Jamaat-e-Islami wants to maintain balanced relations with all countries. He said, “We do not want to lean towards any one country. Rather, we want balanced relations with all countries by respecting all countries.”

Source: Reuters