Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher said his party rejoined the National Consensus Commission (NCC) dialogue after Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus personally called and 'assured them of maintaining neutrality'.
Speaking to reporters during the lunch break on the second day of the second round of dialogues between political parties and the NCC, held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka on Wednesday, Taher stated, "We received assurances from the Chief Advisor over the phone, and based on that, we returned to the discussions."
Jamaat had skipped Tuesday's session, later announcing that it had "boycotted" the meeting in protest. The party cited concerns over a joint declaration made during a London meeting on June 3 between BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and Professor Yunus, which Jamaat deemed "inappropriate."
"We were surprised by how our absence for just 24 hours was misrepresented," said Taher. "We issued a statement questioning the Chief Advisor's London visit and some of its implications."
He clarified that the party did not object to Professor Yunus's comments about election timing. "We had earlier proposed holding elections between December and April. So even if the election is in December or February, it aligns with our position. We have no objection to the timeline," he said.
However, Taher expressed concern over Yunus announcing election dates in a televised speech without prior political consensus. "The date could have been adjusted through discussion with parties like the BNP. Instead, he should have returned to Bangladesh and clarified the matter. That would have been more appropriate."
Highlighting the joint statement with the BNP as a major point of contention, Taher said, "We were shocked to see the Chief Advisor issue a joint statement with a single party. This is unprecedented. Around the world, heads of government meet opposition leaders officially, usually those with parliamentary representation. In our context, with over 100 political parties, this creates a problematic precedent."
He continued, "This is not just Jamaat's concern-many parties are embarrassed. We take issue with the joint statement, not with the BNP."
Claiming the Chief Advisor's neutrality is in doubt, Taher warned, "If this continues, the reform commission will lose its effectiveness. It will be a case of 'a mountain giving birth to a mouse.' That's why we didn't attend Tuesday's session-as a symbolic protest."
He added that various members of the interim government had contacted Jamaat. "Yesterday afternoon, the Chief Advisor spoke directly with our Amir. He assured us that the government would remain neutral, not favouring any party. Based on that conversation, we decided to attend today."
Taher emphasized the importance of a credible election, warning, "If the government fails to ensure a free and fair election, another authoritarian regime will not save the country."
Commenting on the broader consensus on the NCC, he said most political parties support its formation in principle, although the BNP has raised objections to several aspects. "With over 30 political parties involved, it's impossible to claim full consensus. That's why we propose placing both the points of agreement and disagreement to a referendum."
Addressing the proposed changes in the presidential election process, Taher said the NCC suggested electing the president through an electoral college comprising 70,000 members from the grassroots to national levels.
"Currently, parliament elects the president. We question whether a new system involving local representatives would actually differ, as local elections often produce government-backed candidates," he explained.
"We propose that such local elections be held under a caretaker government to ensure fairness. We support direct elections for those electoral constituencies, but further discussion is needed-such as whether the electoral college should include Union Parishad members or extend down to the chairmen," he added.
