Farhad said he believes all political parties in Bangladesh maintain some form of connection with the United States — some directly, others indirectly.
Poet Farhad Mazhar speaks at a discussion in Dhaka on 10 November 2025. Photo: TBS
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Poet Farhad Mazhar speaks at a discussion in Dhaka on 10 November 2025. Photo: TBS
Claiming that Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has a relationship with the United States, poet and public intellectual Farhad Mazhar has said that he views it as a dangerous and ominous sign.
He made the remarks while responding to a question at a discussion titled “Nationwide crisis of gas, electricity and safe water: What society should do”, held at the National Press Club on Friday afternoon (23 January), reports Prothom Alo.
Farhad said he believes all political parties in Bangladesh maintain some form of connection with the United States — some directly, others indirectly.
“First and foremost, I believe that after the mass uprising of 5 August, what followed was a constitutional counter-revolution that has been internationally portrayed as a regime change in favour of the United States,” he said.
Elaborating further, Farhad noted that he had long argued Sheikh Hasina’s removal from power was not a central issue.
“Even before the mass uprising and before the formation of Gono Odhikar Parishad, I said that removing Sheikh Hasina was not the real issue, because the United States would remove her anyway,” he said.
“The real question was how we would build a new Bangladeshi state. The United States is a geopolitical power, and in reality, there is no such thing as international law,” he added.
He further said, “Many of you talk about anti-India sentiment. I acknowledge India’s dominance. But why don’t you talk about American imperialism? Jamaat has not said that it objects to the so-called stabilisation force [ISF] going to Gaza [Palestine]. This makes it clear that Jamaat certainly has a policy alignment and a relationship with the United States.”