Jamaat's Dual Strategy: Diplomatic Push, Street Violence Ahead of Bangladesh Polls

• Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman held high-level meetings with Western diplomats, EU, China, and Pakistan ahead of Bangladesh polls.
• Rahman met EU delegation, Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen, German Ambassador Dr Rüdiger Lotz, BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, and Dhaka University VC Professor Dr Niaz Ahmed Khan.
• Intelligence sources indicate these diplomatic efforts coincided with a rise in communal violence and targeted killings of Hindus.
• Rahman allegedly portrayed violence as spontaneous, positioned Jamaat as a stabilizing force, and blamed India's influence for instability.
• He also met radicalized youth groups, framing India as an obstacle, and engaged ex-army veterans for voter intimidation.

Why It Matters: Jamaat-e-Islami is using a two-pronged approach of diplomacy and street violence to assert its relevance.