General elections are going to be held in Bangladesh in February. Sheikh Hasina’s party, the Awami League, has been banned from taking part in the elections. Seeing the possibility of a big victory of Jamaat-e-Islami, America is increasing its contact with this fundamentalist party. This has come to light in a report by The Washington Post. The report said that US diplomats have expressed willingness to work with the organization. Jamaat-e-Islami is a fundamentalist organization which has been banned several times in Bangladesh.
Hints given in secret meeting
On December 1, 2025, a US diplomat held a closed-door meeting with Bangladeshi women journalists. At the meeting, the diplomat predicted that Jamaat-e-Islami would perform better than ever in the elections. The diplomat also said, “We want them to be our friends.”
Tariff Alert
However, the US official also made it clear that if Jamaat comes to power and imposes Sharia law or curtails women’s rights, the US will cripple Bangladesh by imposing 100% tariffs. In this matter, Monica Shea, a spokeswoman for the US Embassy in Dhaka, said that the conversation was “a routine meeting, an off-the-record discussion”. Many political parties were discussed. He also said that the US does not favor any one political party and plans to work with any government elected by the Bangladeshi people.
What are the concerns for India?
This step of America may cause concern in New Delhi. Jamaat has always been a major security threat to India. India had declared Jamaat-e-Islami an “unlawful organisation” in Kashmir in 2019. Experts believe that this move by the US could lead to a rift in India-US relations, which are already tense due to trade disputes and regional issues. Even after the removal of Sheikh Hasina, Dhaka-New Delhi relations remain tense.
What is Jamaat-e-Islami?
This fundamentalist party was founded in 1941 by Islamic thinker Syed Abul Ala Maududi. It opposed the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan. During the 1971 war, senior leaders of the Jamaat supported the Pakistani government. They also formed paramilitary groups, which killed thousands of civilians fighting for independent Bangladesh.
When Sheikh Hasina returned to power in 2009, she ordered war crimes trials against senior Jamaat leaders and banned the party. The ban was lifted in 2024 after student protesters ousted Sheikh Hasina from power. Since Hasina’s ouster in 2024, Jamaat-e-Islami has held several meetings with US officials. Party leader Mohammad Rehman also met virtually with US Trade Representative Jameson Greer in January.
