Dhaka:  The interim government of Bangladesh has lifted the ban on the Jamaat-e-Islami organization. This ban was imposed on this organization by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the accusation of involvement in terrorist activities. But now Mohammad Yunus has lifted this ban. After this, the Jamaat-e-Islami organization has given a big statement about India. The head of the organization, Shafiqur Rahman, has said that his party wants cordial and stable relations with India, but at the same time said that New Delhi needs to reconsider its foreign policy in the neighborhood, because bilateral relations do not mean interfering in each other's internal issues.

Rahman, the ameer (chief) of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, said his party supports close ties between India and Bangladesh but also believes Bangladesh should "leave the past behind" and maintain strong and balanced relations with countries like the US, China, and Pakistan. Rahman (65) argued that New Delhi's perception of Jamaat-e-Islami as anti-India was wrong. "Jamaat-e-Islami is not against any country; it is a wrong perception. We are pro-Bangladesh and are only interested in protecting the interests of Bangladesh," he said, stressing that this perception needs to change.

Love for China and Pakistan grows, the problem with India

Jamaat-e-Islami said that India has done some things in the past that Bangladeshis do not like. On the other hand, this organization is not tired of praising and building better relations with countries like China, Pakistan, and America. This organization is considered anti-India. Now it says that "India is our neighbor and we want good, stable, and harmonious bilateral relations. However, India has done some things in the past which the people of Bangladesh did not like." He said, "For example, during the 2014 Bangladesh elections, a senior Indian diplomat visited Dhaka and instructed who should participate and who should not. This was unacceptable, as this is not the role of a neighboring country.

Attack on Hindus denied

Responding to a question on allegations of attacks on Hindus by Jamaat activists in Bangladesh, Rehman denied these as "baseless". Rehman blamed malicious media campaign for the negative portrayal of Jamaat-e-Islami and said that despite being the biggest victim of atrocities committed by the Sheikh Hasina government in the last 15 years, "we are still standing and Jamaat still has the support of the people." On relations with Pakistan, Rehman said, "We want good relations with them as well. We want equal and balanced relations with all our neighbors in the subcontinent, including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. This balance is very important to maintain stability." Bangladesh was formerly known as East Pakistan and came into existence as an independent nation after separating from Pakistan after the 1971 Liberation War.