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Bangladesh's prime minister-in-waiting Tarique Rahman assures the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami that he has instructed party members to protect minority communities and opposition activists amid concerns over post-election reprisals.
Rahman, the chair of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), visited the residence of Shafiqur Rahman, ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, on Sunday evening in Dhaka's Bashundhara residential area, days before he is expected to be sworn in as prime minister following his party's victory in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad elections.
Senior BNP figures, including secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and standing-committee member Nazrul Islam Khan, accompanied the party chief.
Jamaat leaders present at the courtesy meet included assistant secretary-general and central media chief Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, as well as international affairs secretary Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher.
In a post on his verified Facebook page, Shafiqur congratulated Rahman in advance as Bangladesh's "future prime minister", describing the visit as "a historic moment for national politics".
"I welcome his visit and hope that through dialogue and responsibility it will usher in a new chapter of political maturity and mutual respect," he writes.
Shafiqur said he raised several issues during their discussion and expressed his vision of building a Bangladesh "free from fascism, sovereign and founded on justice and fairness".
Jamaat, he said, remained committed - alongside its 11-party alliance partners - to establishing a prosperous, stable and modern state rooted in democratic values and constitutional governance.
According to the Jamaat leader, Rahman assured him that effective measures would be taken to prevent post-election violence and any attack on opposition activists or minority communities.
"I welcome this assurance," Shafiqur said. "Our expectation is that no citizen should suffer from fear or insecurity."
He affirms that Jamaat would extend full cooperation to the elected government on issues of national interest, while remaining uncompromising in fulfilling its constitutional role as an ideological opposition party.
"We will support the government in welfare-oriented initiatives, but wherever accountability is required, we will be vocal," he said.
"Our aim is not confrontation but correction; not obstruction but oversight. The people of this country expect a parliament that safeguards justice and citizens' rights while advancing the state with stability."
Rahman's outreach to Jamaat signals an early attempt to shape relations with key political actors ahead of his inauguration, as Bangladesh prepares for a transition of power under a new BNP-led administration.
Later on Sunday night Tarique Rahman also paid a courtesy call on Nahid Islam, Convener and MP-elect of the National Citizen Party (NCP), in his overtures for promoting post-election harmony.
Tarique reached Nahid's residence at 5 Circuit House Road in the capital's Bailey Road area at around 8:30pm. He was received by Nahid Islam, who welcomed the BNP chief and premier-apparent with a floral wreath.
Senior BNP leaders, including Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan, accompanied Tarique during the visit.
According to a BNP Media Cell member, the meeting "focused on the prevailing political situation following the national elections, the need for peaceful political coexistence, and the prospects for constructive engagement among parties in the days ahead".
The meeting took place just two days before the BNP is set to form the next government following its landslide victory in Thursday's parliamentary polls.
Earlier in the evening, Tarique visited the residence and political office of Shafiqur Rahman, Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, where he held a separate meeting described by party leaders as a positive political gesture in the post-election context.
Sunday's engagements are being seen as part of the BNP leadership's outreach efforts to foster dialogue and cooperation among political forces following the polls.
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