Fakhrul Criticizes Jamaat for Skipping Consensus Commission Talks

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday, June 18, criticised Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami for skipping the National Consensus Commission meeting on Tuesday due to fears of losing relevance after the national election. “Many were not happy with the meeting outcome because the election will bring danger for them. As long as there is no election, they hold considerable importance,” he said at a programme of the Dhaka North City Unit BNP. Once the election concludes, the BNP leader said, the party supported by people will come to power. In an oblique reference to Jamaat, he said the party is concerned about how much influence it will retain after the election. “That is why they were disappointed and did not attend the meeting with (Consensus Commission) yesterday (Tuesday),” Fakhrul said. The programme was held on the premises of Sunbeams School to launch the Turag unit of Dhaka North BNP’s new membership form distribution and membership renewal campaign. According to media reports, Jamaat-e-Islami skipped the National Consensus Commission’s discussion with political parties on Tuesday as a form of protest against the outcome of the London meeting between the Chief Adviser and the BNP Acting Chairman.

The party reportedly informed the commission that it felt ignored after Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman met in London on June 13 and issued a joint statement agreeing to hold the election in February next year. Fakhrul said when a debate was going on and a rift was developing between the interim government and political parties over an unfavourable election timeline in April next year, Tarique Rahman met Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus in London on 13 June at the latter’s invitation. He described the meeting as a rare and historic event, as it paved the way for a peaceful democratic transition. At the meeting, Fakhrul said both Prof Yunus and Tarique moved away from their earlier stances on the election schedule and agreed to hold the polls in February, a week before Ramadan. “This is what we call statesmanship. Without fuelling division or conflict, these two leaders have created an opportunity for a peaceful election,” he said. “Do we like this? If you do, give a round of applause for Tarique Rahman and Prof Yunus,” he said, prompting claps from party leaders and workers.