Joint press briefing by Yunus, Tarique a breach of political norms, Jamaat says questioning CA’s partiality

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has termed the joint press briefing which touched upon elections by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman as a breach of political norms.

In a press statement terming the meeting between the two in London as “understandable” given the adviser’s ongoing consultations with various political parties Jamaat-e-Islami, however, said issuing statements after it was not appropriate.

“He [CA] announced the roadmap for the parliamentary elections in the first half of April 2026 in his address to the nation on 6 June. After his announcement, we believe that holding a joint press briefing abroad and issuing a joint statement on the subject of the meeting with a political party during his visit to London deviates from Bangladeshi political norms. Through this, he has expressed special affection for a party, which has undermined his impartiality.”

Calling on the CA to clarify his role before the nation to resolve doubts that have arisen regarding the elections, it said, “We believe that it would have been more appropriate for the chief adviser to return home and consult with other political parties before making public statements on such matters,” Jamaat said.

Through the statement, Jamaat emphasised that “as the head of an interim government, it is morally inappropriate to hold a joint press briefing with a single party,” and added that such actions have raised doubts among the public about the fairness and neutrality of the upcoming election process.

The statement came after a meeting of the party’s Central Executive Council was held this morning (14 June) at the party’s central office, which was chaired by the party’s Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman.

During the meeting, the council discussed the prevailing political situation and issued the statement regarding recent developments surrounding the upcoming national election.

The party also said that its Ameer, Dr Shafiqur Rahman, had earlier expressed Jamaat’s stance on the election timing during a briefing with journalists after a meeting with a foreign mission on 16 April, suggesting that elections could be held in February 2026, ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.

“In a country with numerous active political parties, engaging with only one party cannot be deemed a proper approach to determining the nation’s political future,” the statement said.