Jamaat Signals Openness to Unity Government After Polls

Supporters of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami take part in a protest rally with five-point demand including free and fair election within February of 2026, in front of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Dhaka, Bangladesh, September 18, 2025.

Jamaat-e-Islami, once barred from electoral politics and now poised for its strongest showing in February’s parliamentary election, has expressed willingness to join a unity government and confirmed talks with several political parties.

Opinion polls suggest Jamaat may emerge as the second-largest party after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in its first election in nearly 17 years, marking a return to mainstream politics in the country of about 175 million people.

The party last shared power between 2001 and 2006 as a junior partner in a BNP-led coalition and has indicated it is open to cooperation again. Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman said political unity was essential for long-term stability.

“We want to see a stable nation for at least five years. If parties come together, we can run the government collectively,” he said, adding that anti-corruption should be a common agenda for any unity government.

Rahman said the prime minister would come from the party securing the most seats in the February 12 election. If Jamaat wins the highest number, the party would decide internally on its nominee for the post.

Jamaat’s resurgence follows the ouster of long-serving prime minister Sheikh Hasina in a youth-led uprising in August 2024. During her rule, the party remained outside electoral politics, and several of its senior leaders were convicted over crimes linked to the 1971 war of independence. Jamaat was formally barred from elections in 2013 after a court ruled its charter conflicted with the constitution, but restrictions were lifted by the interim government in August 2024.

On foreign relations, Rahman said Jamaat favours balanced ties with all countries. He noted concerns over strained relations with India following recent political developments and confirmed contact with Indian officials, stressing the need for transparency and engagement.

Rejecting the idea of aligning with any single country, Rahman said Jamaat seeks respectful and balanced relations with all nations. He also said any government including Jamaat would be uncomfortable continuing with the current president, though the largely ceremonial head of state has previously indicated willingness to step down before completing his term.