Jamaat-e-Islami has boycotted the second phase of the National Consensus Commission’s dialogue in protest against the joint declaration issued following a recent meeting in London between the Commission’s Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus and BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman.
Sources confirmed that Jamaat leaders did not attend Tuesday’s scheduled dialogue session held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, despite formal invitations and subsequent requests from the Commission for their participation.
The dialogue officially began shortly after 11 AM, with the presence of a three-member BNP delegation led by Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed and a three-member Nationalist Citizens` Party (NCP) delegation. However, Jamaat-e-Islami did not send any representatives.
When contacted, the personal assistant of Jamaat’s Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar stated that he would consult the Secretary General regarding the party’s participation.
Later, he informed that Jamaat would notify the media if they decided to join the dialogue, but as of now, they have abstained.
Sources within the National Consensus Commission confirmed that Jamaat had formally communicated their decision to boycott the session. Jamaat reportedly expressed dissatisfaction, claiming the party was sidelined during the London meeting and subsequent joint declaration, which announced a possible election timeline without their consultation.
A Jamaat source acknowledged that while the party appreciated the meeting between Dr. Muhammad Yunus and Tarique Rahman, they considered it disrespectful to announce the election timeframe from London instead of Bangladesh.
They argued that the announcement should have been made on home soil, ensuring inclusivity.
In previous sessions, Jamaat’s delegation to the Commission was led by Naib-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, accompanied by Assistant Secretary Generals Rafiqul Islam Khan and Hamidur Rahman Azad.
Although Jamaat joined the last meeting on June 3 after a midday break, this time, they were absent from the outset.
The second phase of the dialogue was set to continue discussions on unfinished reform proposals from the earlier sessions.
Present at Tuesday’s meeting were BNP’s Salahuddin Ahmed and Ismail Zabihullah, National People`s Front’s Tipu Biswas, Khilafat Majlish’s Ahmad Abdul Qader, Ganosanghati Andolan’s Abul Hasan Rubel, AB Party’s Asaduzzaman Fuad, NCP’s Tasnim Zara, Labour Party’s Mostafizur Rahman, LDP’s Redwan Ahmed, BLDP’s Shahadat Hossain Selim, JSD’s Shahid Uddin Mahmud Swapan, Bangladesh Jasad’s Mostaq Hossain, along with leaders from over 30 other political parties.
