Bangladesh Nationalist Occasion (BNP) chairman Tarique Rahman (R) arrives to satisfy Jamaat-e-Islami celebration chief Shafiqur Rahman in Dhaka on February 15, 2026.
| Photograph Credit score: AFP
Two days forward of the swearing-in ceremony for the brand new authorities of Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Nationalist Occasion (BNP) Chairman and Prime Minister-designate, Tarique Rahman, reached out to Opposition leaders on Sunday (February 15, 2026).
In a reconciliatory gesture, Mr. Rahman visited Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) chief Shafiqur Rahman at his residence, even because the JeI held consultations with members of the 11-party alliance about in search of a recount in 32 parliamentary constituencies. The BNP Chairman additionally met the Nationwide Citizen Occasion’s (NCP) convener, Nahid Islam.
The assembly between the JeI chief and Mr. Tarique Rahman got here a day after JeI and the alliance member NCP alleged that the election course of was riddled with “inconsistencies” and “fabrications,” although they didn’t problem the outcomes that gave the BNP-led alliance 212 seats, whereas the 11-party alliance gained 77 seats and the JeI secured 68 — its highest tally in Bangladesh’s electoral historical past.
Chairman Tarique Rahman had reached out to the opposition throughout his first press convention on Saturday (February 14, 2026), when he referred to as upon all sides to “stay united.”
The BNP refused to explain Mr. Tarique Rahman’s conferences with the JeI chief and Mr. Islam as makes an attempt to resolve any political disputes forward of the swearing-in ceremony and mentioned that the conferences had been merely post-election “courtesy” calls.
The assembly with Mr. Islam was held on the latter’s residence on Bailey Street in Dhaka, the place Mr. Tarique Rahman was accompanied by BNP secretary normal Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan. Following the assembly, an NCP spokesperson described the go to by the BNP management as “a welcome transfer.”
Simply earlier than Mr. Tarique Rahman visited the JeI chief’s residence, the Jamaat-led alliance had referred to as for protests over post-poll violence allegedly concentrating on Jamaat cadres in numerous components of Bangladesh. Earlier on Sunday (February 15, 2026), a delegation from the 11-party alliance visited the Election Fee and sought a recount in 32 constituencies.
Nonetheless, after the assembly between the BNP Chairman and the JeI chief (Ameer), Syed Abdullah Mohammed Taher of JeI instructed the media that the go to by the chief of the profitable aspect “signifies a qualitative change in nationwide politics.” He added, “Within the coming days, we are going to play the function of a constructive stakeholder.”
In a social media put up, JeI chief Mr. Shafiqur Rahman congratulated the PM-designate and mentioned, “We are going to cooperate absolutely on issues of nationwide curiosity, but we are going to discharge our constitutional obligation as a agency and principled Opposition.”
Jamaat had come out with a three-page-long checklist of assaults that allegedly passed off between Friday (February 13, 2026) and Saturday (February 14, 2026) after the election gave an absolute majority to the BNP, giving it energy for the fourth time within the historical past of Bangladesh.
Jamaat had alleged that in a number of cases, the post-poll assaults had been carried out by the supporters of each the BNP and the banned Awami League.
Revealed – February 16, 2026 01:30 am IST