'Unacceptable from an ex-diplomat': Jamaat slams Shringla's remarks

Jamaat‑e‑Islami has condemned remarks by former Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh and current lawmaker Harsh Vardhan Shringla, who said the party would have no chance of winning if the election is “free and fair.”

Reacting to the statement, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar issued a statement this evening, describing Shringla’s comments as contrary to international diplomatic etiquette and foreign policy norms.

“Such comments are in no way acceptable, particularly from a former diplomat and a sitting member of parliament,” the statement read.

Porwar said Shringla’s remarks were politically biased and motivated.

“It is entirely the prerogative of a country’s people to decide whom they will vote for and whom they will not. No foreign politician has the authority to determine the level of public support for any political party. The people of Bangladesh are the owners of this country, and they alone will elect their representatives through the ballot,” he added.

The statement accused Shringla of attempting to cast doubt on Bangladesh’s democratic process and undermine diplomatic goodwill between the two neighbours.

It stressed that Jamaat‑e‑Islami is a registered, democratic, ideology‑based party committed to people’s rights, justice, and good governance. “If a free, fair, and neutral election is held, the people will deliver their true verdict. We have no doubt about that,” it said.

Jamaat urged responsible quarters in India to refrain from making such statements and to uphold mutual respect by not interfering in Bangladesh’s internal affairs.

Shringla made the remarks on Friday in Siliguri, West Bengal, after paying tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Asked by a journalist about Jamaat’s chances, he said: “If the election is free and fair, the Islamist party will never be able to win. Only if the election is not neutral, if there is rigging, can they come to power.”

He also claimed Jamaat’s vote share was between five and seven percent and that the party lacked public support.