Prime Minister's Political Assistant Rashed Khan on Wednesday alleged that Awami League and Chhatra League activists were now trying to survive by operating covertly within Jamaat-e-Islami.

“Chhatra League and Awami League activists are now trying to survive by going undercover within Jamaat. Jamaat-Shibir, meanwhile, is giving Awami League miscreants space in their ranks to increase their numbers,” he said.

Rashed made the remarks in a post on his verified Facebook account.

He accused Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir of subtly normalising the alleged terrorist activities of the banned Awami League instead of taking a strong stand against its activists.

Rashed questioned whether Sheikh Hasina or her then home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal knew that Shadik Kayem, while serving as president of Shibir's Dhaka University unit, maintained covert links with the Chhatra League.

He also asked whether the AL government had intelligence about Jamaat-Shibir members across the country who, according to him, secretly participated in Chhatra League and Awami League politics.

Rashed further alleged that Jamaat-Shibir had taught the AL the tactics of covert politics.

He questioned why Jamaat-Shibir had not taken a stronger role in resisting AL activities and arson attacks, suggesting that the party might have two reasons for not taking to the streets forcefully at this moment.

First, he said, Jamaat-Shibir might believe that unrest created by the AL would weaken the BNP government.

If the government became weak, the party could gain importance as the opposition, as the government might then seek its assistance in tackling the AL.

Jamaat-Shibir could use such cooperation as a bargaining tool to secure influence over government affairs while remaining in opposition, he said.

As a second possible reason, Rashed referred to a recent meeting between a Jamaat delegation, including Mia Golam Parwar and ATM Masum, and intelligence officials of an unnamed country.

He said Jamaat had denied holding the meeting, but argued that the denial had put the party in a difficult position.

Rashed speculated that the discussion might have involved a suggestion that Jamaat, as the opposition in parliament, should focus on its own bid for power rather than constantly opposing the AL. He suggested the party might have been advised to let the AL carry out its activities while Jamaat pursued its political ambitions.

However, regardless of which of the two explanations was correct, Rashed said, Jamaat-Shibir would not succeed in achieving its objectives.

He called for collective resistance against what he described as an AL-Jamaat conspiracy to weaken the BNP government for political gain.