Shafiqur Rahman, Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the opposition leader in parliament, recently claimed that his party was not consulted by the interim government regarding international agreements signed with foreign countries.

However, the claim has drawn scrutiny after the party’s own press releases revealed that its leadership held meetings with officials from the United States and Australia earlier this year to discuss trade and bilateral relations.

Rahman made the claim in a Facebook post on his verified page on Thursday. In the post, he alleged that several important agreements were signed with foreign countries during the tenure of the interim government but Jamaat-e-Islami was not consulted on those matters.

He wrote that in the absence of a functioning parliament, the government had engaged in dialogue with political parties on various national issues. 

Therefore, he argued, political parties should also have been consulted before finalizing international agreements.

Rahman further stated that the government did not take the party’s concerns into account and emphasized that Jamaat’s position on the matter was clear and unambiguous.

The statement quickly sparked questions in political circles. Observers pointed out that while the party is claiming it was not consulted by the government, it had itself held discussions with foreign officials regarding trade and bilateral cooperation.

According to a press release issued by Jamaat-e-Islami’s central publicity department on January 16, 2026, Rahman held a virtual meeting that morning with Jamieson Greer, a representative of the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

The press release said the meeting included discussions on Bangladesh–U.S. bilateral trade, reciprocal tariff structures, future economic cooperation and the prospects for a possible trade agreement.

Also present at the meeting were Brendan Lynch and trade director Emily Ashby, along with Jamaat’s U.S. spokesperson Prof. Dr. Mohammad Nakibur Rahman.

According to the statement, Rahman welcomed the U.S. initiative to provide tariff facilities for Bangladesh and said such agreements would strengthen economic ties between the two countries. 

He also said that if Jamaat forms a government after the next election, it would continue implementing such agreements and further deepen trade and investment relations with the United States.

Another press release issued the same day stated that Rahman also held a virtual meeting with Bruce Sawyer, a representative of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The meeting discussed Bangladesh–Australia bilateral trade, future economic cooperation, elections and development cooperation. 

Australian government officials, along with Jamaat’s foreign affairs advisers and expatriate representatives, were reported to have participated in the discussion.

Meanwhile, amid the debate over the Bangladesh–U.S. trade agreement, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman said the deal had not compromised the country’s national interests and that major political parties had been consulted beforehand.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Paul Kapur, he said the agreement was reached after long negotiations and was not finalized suddenly before elections. 

He added that there remains room to amend the agreement if necessary.

The Commerce Minister also stated that there was no reason for concern over the Bangladesh–U.S. trade agreement and that it would strengthen economic relations between the two countries in the future.

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