Bangladesh's Islamist party open to unity government after February vote

A once-banned Bangladeshi Islamist party, poised for its strongest electoral showing in February's parliamentary vote, has expressed openness to joining a unity government and has held discussions with several parties, its leader told Reuters on Wednesday (December 31).

Opinion polls suggest that Jamaat-e-Islami could finish a close second to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in its first election in nearly 17 years, marking a return to mainstream politics in the predominantly Muslim nation of 175 million.

Jamaat last held power between 2001 and 2006 as a junior coalition partner with the BNP and is open to collaborating with it again.

While Jamaat advocates Islamic governance under sharia law, it has sought to broaden its appeal beyond its traditional conservative base. Party chief Shafiqur Rahman emphasized that anti-corruption should be a shared agenda for any unity government.

Rahman also noted that the prime minister will come from the party winning the most seats in the February 12 election. If Jamaat secures the most seats, the party will determine whether Rahman himself would be its candidate.

-Production: Feline Lim/Reuters