Play store
A 71-member Jamaat-e-Islami delegation, including 34 lawmakers, is now on a 17-day tour of different countries while the 11-Party Alliance, led by the group, is busy organising a long march over an eight-point set of demands. The delegation includes family members many of the visiting MPs.
This foreign trip of the Jamaat MPs has induced immense curiosity as the opposition alliance holds long marches demanding action over various issues, including gas and electricity shortages and other crises. Jamaat, however, says the trip was planned in advance and is part of the party’s programme.
Party sources said 25 to 26 MPs have taken family members with them. The delegation also includes Jamaat central Majlis-e-Shura member and Dhaka North city unit amir Mohammad Selim Uddin, former MP and recently joined Jamaat member Maj. (retd) Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman, and writer Ziaul Haque.
Members of the delegation arrived in Malaysia in two groups on September 13 and 14 and stayed there for three days. They travelled to Singapore on September 17 and reached the Philippines on Saturday.
They are scheduled to leave the Philippines for Saudi Arabia on September 24 to perform Umrah, with a stopover in Bahrain. They are expected to return to Bangladesh on September 30.
Meetings in Malaysia
During their stay in Malaysia, the Jamaat MPs met Maszlee Malik, the country’s former education minister and head of the International Affairs Bureau of the political party Keadilan Rakyat. He is also associated with the Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) Malaysia.
In a Facebook post on September 17, Malik said he had hosted the Jamaat MPs. He said he shared his thoughts on the challenges reform-oriented political parties face globally on behalf of Keadilan’s International Affairs Bureau and IAIS Malaysia.
The meeting also discussed Professor Ziauddin Sardar’s concept of “post-normal times”, according to Malik. He also highlighted transparency, truthfulness, integrity, accountability and attentive listening to citizens as important qualities for elected representatives.
Jamaat sources said Malik met the MPs on his own initiative. The delegation also visited several locations in Kuala Lumpur, including the city centre and the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).
Symposium in Singapore
The Jamaat MPs arrived in Singapore on September 17, where they visited Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
They also attended a symposium at the university, where discussions covered Singapore’s development and the circumstances behind its emergence in its current position.
After completing their Singapore visit, the delegation reached the Philippines on Saturday. They are scheduled to meet representatives of various political parties and prominent individuals there, as well as visit tourist attractions.
The group will leave the Philippines for Saudi Arabia on September 24. During their stopover in Bahrain, they also plan to visit some places around the airport before travelling to Saudi Arabia for Umrah. They are expected to return home on September 30.