Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has boycotted the ongoing political dialogue convened by the National Consensus Commission, citing grievances over its exclusion from recent political developments.

Despite invitations, no Jamaat delegation attended the second phase of the commission’s dialogue, which resumed Tuesday (June 17) at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka. 

The session, which officially began at 12:15 pm, saw participation from several opposition parties — but Jamaat was notably absent.

Confirming the boycott, the party's Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher told Banglanews, “We are not attending the dialogue.”

A source within the National Consensus Commission said the party had informed organizers in advance of its decision to stay away. 

According to the source, Jamaat objected to what it described as its exclusion from a joint announcement made following a recent meeting in London between Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman.

“They felt sidelined by the announcement of a possible election date without broader consultation, particularly with parties like Jamaat,” the commission source said, adding that efforts were made to persuade the party to join the session, even with a delayed appearance.

A Jamaat insider added that while the party appreciated the high-level meeting in London, it found it “odd” that such a critical announcement — hinting at the timing of national elections — was made overseas and without their input.

“They believe such declarations should be made inside the country through a broader political consensus,” the source said.

The National Consensus Commission is currently engaging political parties in a three-day dialogue (June 17–19) in a bid to draft a ‘national charter’ aimed at resolving long-standing political divisions.

SMS/