The Leader of the Opposition and Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Shafiqur Rahman, voiced apprehensions about the nation’s law and order situation to the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) today. Rahman engaged in a courtesy meeting with a senior EU EOM delegation at his office in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban this afternoon, as per a statement released by the party.
The delegation, spearheaded by Chief Observer Ivars Ijabs and comprising Deputy Head of Delegation Baiba Zarina, Deputy Chief Observer Inta Leis, Legal Analyst Irini Maria Gounari, and Ryan Islam, met with Rahman. Ijabs commended the opposition leader’s constructive role at the onset of the meeting. The EU EOM provided Rahman with its report on the recent parliamentary elections in Bangladesh.
The EU team inquired about the progress of implementing the July Charter during the visit. In response, Rahman outlined his party’s stance on critical matters such as national elections and the referendum proposal. He expressed concerns over the lack of initiative by the BNP to implement reform proposals agreed upon at the National Consensus Commission, cautioning that this reluctance could undermine public trust in political leadership.
Rahman also highlighted issues including violence by ruling party supporters across the country, unrest in various universities, and assaults on Jamaat lawmakers during the discussion. The EU EOM members stressed the importance of enhancing democracy, ensuring political equilibrium, and undertaking essential reforms in Bangladesh. They put forward a series of recommendations to ensure transparent and fair elections in the future.
The meeting was attended by Barrister Ahmad Bin Quasem Arman, MP from Dhaka-14, and Ali Ahmad Mabroor, a member of the opposition leader’s foreign affairs advisory team. Earlier in the day, the EU EOM lauded Bangladesh’s 2026 parliamentary elections as “credible” and “competently managed,” hailing it as a significant stride towards reinstating democratic governance and the rule of law. Chief Observer Ivars Ijabs, presenting the final report at a hotel in Dhaka this morning, noted that the polls were genuinely competitive for the first time since 2008, with a broad respect for fundamental freedoms.
