China's Calculated Move: Engaging Jamaat Ahead of Bangladesh Elections

• Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen met Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman, sparking scrutiny in South Asian strategic circles.
• Beijing views Jamaat as a potent street-mobilisation force capable of influencing voter turnout and protest dynamics.
• China's engagement aims to safeguard its substantial Belt and Road Initiative investments in Bangladesh from political instability.
• The outreach is seen as a pragmatic move to ensure stability and limit risks to Chinese projects and personnel during elections.
• Jamaat's anti-India stance makes it a strategic counterweight for Beijing against New Delhi's influence in Dhaka.

Why It Matters: China's engagement with Jamaat is a pragmatic diplomatic move to secure its interests and ensure stability in Bangladesh.