Jamaat raises concern over foreign agreements signed by interim govt

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has said the interim government agreements signed with several foreign countries were made without consultation with the party, raising concerns over decision-making during the administration’s tenure.

Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, said the party was not involved in discussions over international agreements signed during the interim government period.

In a post on his verified Facebook page on Friday, Shafiqur Rahman said the party had repeatedly urged the interim administration to consult political parties on major national decisions, particularly in the absence of a functioning parliament.

“During the tenure of the interim government, several agreements were signed with different countries. Unfortunately, we were not consulted in any way regarding those agreements,” he wrote.

Shafiqur Rahman said Jamaat-e-Islami had asked the interim government to follow a consultative approach with political parties when making decisions on sensitive matters such as international agreements.

He said the party believed such discussions were necessary because parliament was not in place at the time to provide legislative oversight.

“However, the government of that time did not take our demands into consideration. So, our position on the matter is clear, and there is no room for creating any confusion here,” he added.

The remarks came after comments from Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman regarding the Bangladesh–United States reciprocal trade agreement, which was signed shortly before the recent national election.

Speaking on Wednesday, Khalilur Rahman rejected claims that the agreement was concluded abruptly ahead of the election.

He said the issue had been discussed earlier with the leadership of the country’s two major political parties – widely understood to refer to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami – and that both had agreed to the signing of the deal.

The foreign minister’s statement prompted the response from Jamaat leadership, which said the party had not been formally consulted during the process.

The debate highlights broader questions about political consultation and policy transparency in Bangladesh during periods when elected parliamentary oversight is absent.