Jamaat branded us militants to the Americans: Charmonai Pir

Islami Andolan Bangladesh Amir Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim on Wednesday launched a sharp and unusually blunt attack on Jamaat-e-Islami, accusing its leaders of portraying his party as extremists during meetings with the United States.

Speaking to journalists after unveiling the party’s election manifesto, titled “Manifesto of People’s Expectations”, at the party office in Purana Paltan, Rezaul Karim alleged that Jamaat leaders held meetings with US officials and misrepresented Islami Andolan as militant.

“I have seen in various places that Jamaat held meetings with America where they introduced us as extremists,” said Rezaul Karim, who is also the pir of Charmonai. 

“No political leader in Bangladesh wants to label this country as militant. No one wants to tarnish Bangladesh’s image. Yet with sadness I must say that Jamaat’s Nayeb-e-Amir Abdullah Muhammad Taher presented us as militants at the American embassy.”

The Islami Andolan chief went further, accusing Jamaat of conducting what he described as “secret diplomacy” with foreign powers. “Meetings can happen. But why secret meetings with America, secret meetings with India?” he asked. “India has already said these relations are part of continuity. That suggests such meetings happened long ago.”

His remarks come amid growing cracks within Islamist political alliances ahead of the general election. 

Responding to questions about the collapse of an election agreement involving Jamaat and 11 other parties, Rezaul Karim said the Jamaat-led alliance lacked Islamic unity and moral clarity.

“There is no harmony, no Islamic ideal in that alliance. This kind of politics amounts to deceiving the nation,” he said, explaining why Islami Andolan Bangladesh withdrew from the bloc.

Warning voters, Rezaul Karim said aligning with divided forces would only lead to disappointment. “If the nation stands with those who are not united among themselves, the people will be deceived. Bangladesh will become an ugly country instead of a beautiful one,” he said, adding that his party chose to walk away to avoid being part of that outcome.

Senior leaders of Islami Andolan Bangladesh were present at the manifesto launch, which quickly turned into a platform for one of the strongest public critiques yet of Jamaat’s political conduct and foreign outreach.