Bangladesh elections: Ties with India colourful, says Jamaat chief
1 min readFeb 12, 2026 08:15 AM IST
Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer (chief) Shafiqur Rahman put on a charm offensive on Wednesday — with the party expected to make solid gains in the elections on Thursday.
He hosted foreign diplomats, international observers and the media for a lunch at the plush Dhaka Sheraton.
When asked how he views bilateral relations with India, he pointed to the chandeliers in the room, saying, “colourful”. When pointed out that the chandeliers’ colour was green, he said, “green stands for progress”, adding ties with India will be a “priority” as it is Bangladesh’s “neighbour”.
When asked about the situation of minorities in Bangladesh, a concern among Hindus who have voiced fears, Rahman said, “I don’t like the word minorities. There are no minorities. They are all Bangladeshis. There are no second-class citizens, they are all first-class citizens”.
On Jamaat’s attitude towards women, having said that the they will follow Islamic laws and customs, Rahman asserted that his party is “not anti-women”. “How can I be anti-women when I have one wife and two daughters,” he quipped.
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