Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman meets UN official Gwyn Lewis

A statement from Jamaat-e-Islami says the meeting was conducted in a “sincere and cordial manner”

Gwyn Lewis, the United Nations resident coordinator in Bangladesh, has met with Shafiqur Rahman, the chief of Jamaat-e-Islami.

The meeting took place at Rahman’s office in Dhaka’s Bashundhara at 9am on Tuesday.

Lewis was accompanied by Huma Khan, the human rights advisor to the UN resident representative.

According to a statement released by Jamaat, the meeting was conducted in a “sincere and cordial atmosphere”.

Discussions focused on the political and human rights situation in Bangladesh, the Rohingya crisis and the country’s upcoming national elections.

The statement said the party sought the cooperation and technical assistance of the United Nations to ensure that the elections could be held in what it called a free, fair and acceptable manner, stressing their importance for Bangladesh.

The meeting also expressed hope for the continued support of the UN in advancing women’s rights, improving workplace skills and contributing to the country’s overall development, the statement said.