Jamaat will not be allowed to rise again: Mirza Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has asserted that Jamaat-e-Islami will not be allowed to rise again in Bangladesh’s political landscape. He made the remarks during an exclusive interview with Ei Samay, a Bengali daily based in Kolkata, conducted recently in Dhaka’s Gulshan area.

The interview was published on Monday, (September 22).

Referring to Jamaat’s interest in participating in the upcoming national election, Fakhrul said the party had sought 30 parliamentary seats. “They asked for 30. We didn’t encourage it. We offered a much smaller number, which they did not accept,” he said.

“I assure you, we will not let Jamaat rise again. No matter how strong they appear, we have previously given them more importance than they deserved,” Fakhrul added.

The BNP leader also dismissed any notion that the party could be pressured through international public relations (PR) campaigns. “All the PR and TR efforts are just strategies to pressure the BNP. But that will not work,” he stated.

He noted that Jamaat is preparing for the election and has already started announcing candidates in different areas. “People across the country strongly desire an election. The army supports this, and so does Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of the interim government,” he said.

Fakhrul confirmed that Jamaat is likely to participate in the election. “The vote will not be about PR or TR gimmicks. It will happen through the conventional process that the people understand. You will see Jamaat taking part,” he said.

Regarding other political groups, Fakhrul said the BNP no longer considers the Nationalist Communist Party (NCP) a significant force. “They once sparked protests against Sheikh Hasina, but now they are politically irrelevant. Even their calls no longer draw a crowd.”

When asked whether the ruling Awami League and its allies, including the Jatiya Party, should participate in the upcoming polls, Fakhrul responded, “We have said that everyone—including the Awami League and its partners—should take part in the election. Let there be a free and fair vote.”

He also addressed criticisms of his position, saying, “Some are calling me an Indian agent or an Awami League sympathizer for promoting inclusive elections. But why should we repeat Sheikh Hasina’s mistakes? She prevented the opposition from contesting elections for 15 years and is now facing the consequences. If we follow the same path, we will suffer the same fate.”

Fakhrul concluded by noting that public sentiment remains strongly anti-Awami League, driven by years of bloodshed and political repression. “The people have seen too much blood, too many lives lost. That resentment still runs deep,” he said.