Harsh Vardhan Shringla, former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh and current member of the Indian Rajya Sabha, believes that Jamaat-e-Islami will not be able to come to power in Bangladesh if the upcoming 13th National Parliament elections are fair and impartial.

He also expressed doubts about whether elections will be held in Bangladesh on February 12.

The former Indian Foreign Secretary made these remarks in response to a question from journalists in Darjeeling, West Bengal on Friday (January 23).

Harsh Vardhan Shringla said, “Jamaat has never won free and fair elections, and will never win in the future. In the past, they have never gotten more than five to seven percent of the vote. They do not have that kind of public support.”

He also commented that Jamaat will be able to come to power only if there are irregularities. Shringla said, “Many are putting them (Jamaat) ahead in the elections. Even then, they will be able to come to power only if there are irregularities in the elections. Otherwise, it is impossible to come.”

Earlier, he said, “You have seen the statement made by India. We want a free, fair and inclusive election in Bangladesh, where all parties can participate. But I have not seen such a situation. I do not know whether the election will take place or not. There are security concerns there. Even if the election takes place, we will have to see under what circumstances. There are many uncertainties, there are questions.”

Harsh Vardhan Shringla claimed, ‘A large number of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh are entering West Bengal. They are being given concessions for political gains. This trend is creating a very dangerous situation for India’s security and future development.’

He further said, “Bangladeshis should not come to India and impose their decisions. This is a wrong decision by Bangladesh. Its impact will be felt in various fields including sports in the future and Bangladesh will lag behind.”