Discussion and Curiosity over Taliban Government’s Senior Official Visiting Dhaka Ahead of Election

With only about one and a half months remaining before Bangladesh’s next national parliamentary election, Noor Ahmad Noor, Director General of the First Political Division of the Foreign Ministry of Afghanistan’s Taliban government, paid a visit to Dhaka.

During his week-long visit, he held meetings with leaders of various Islamist organizations, including Mamunul Haque, Ameer of Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis. These meetings have sparked considerable discussion and criticism in political circles.

In addition, Mr. Noor was seen visiting several madrasas in and around Dhaka.

Earlier, in mid-September, seven Islamist leaders and scholars from Bangladesh visited Afghanistan, among whom was Khilafat Majlis Ameer Mr. Haque.

At the time, he said they had held discussions on various issues with several ministers and officials of the Taliban government. Mr. Haque also stated that the Taliban government had expressed interest in improving diplomatic relations with Bangladesh.

Three months after that visit, a senior official of the Taliban government arrived in Dhaka.

Mr. Noor is considered one of the most important figures in shaping the Taliban government’s foreign policy. He has been actively working to secure international recognition for the Taliban government from other countries.

As part of these efforts, Mr. Noor also visited Pakistan in July, though that trip was an official state visit.

However, multiple sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that he was not officially invited by the Bangladeshi government. As a result, his visit has been described as “personal.”

The interim government has not provided a clear statement on whether the senior Taliban official entered Bangladesh using a diplomatic passport.

It is noteworthy that since returning to power in 2021, no country other than Russia has officially recognized the Taliban government of Afghanistan.

However, without granting formal recognition, many countries have maintained financial and trade relations with the Taliban government, India being one of them.

Recently, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was also seen making an official visit to India.

“After India, the Taliban may now be trying to normalize relations with Bangladesh as well. I believe this official’s visit to Dhaka is part of that effort,” said former ambassador M. Humayun Kabir.

On the night of December 21, at around 11:45 pm, Mr. Noor arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on an Emirates Airlines flight.

After arriving in Dhaka, Taliban official Noor Ahmad Noor visited several Qawmi madrasas, one of which was Jamia Rahmania Arabia Madrasa in Mohammadpur.

On December 25, he visited the madrasa in Mohammadpur, where he held a meeting with the institution’s teacher and Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis Ameer, Maulana Mamunul Haque.

Attempts to contact Mr. Haque to learn what was discussed in the meeting were unsuccessful.

Another teacher of the madrasa and Secretary General of the Qawmi Madrasa Education Board, Mahfuzul Haque, was also present at the meeting.

When contacted, he too declined to comment on the matter.

However, Khilafat Majlis Secretary General Jalaluddin Ahmed claimed that Mamunul Haque’s meeting with the Taliban official had no connection to the party.

“He did not attend the meeting as a representative of the party,” Mr. Ahmed said.

“Since an official of Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry visited the madrasa, our party’s Ameer met him there in his capacity as a teacher,” he added.

Mr. Ahmed also claimed that he had no prior knowledge of Mr. Noor’s visit to Bangladesh.

“I am not aware of who brought him or how he came,” he said.

The Afghan Embassy in Dhaka has not officially disclosed the purpose of Mr. Noor’s visit.

Among those who welcomed Mr. Noor upon his arrival in Dhaka was Abu Sayeem Khaled, Chairman of the Bangladesh-Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BACCI).

He told journalists that one of the main objectives of the Taliban official’s visit was to expand trade and commerce between the two countries.

However, when contacted later, his phone number was found switched off.

Due to the lack of detailed information from the government and relevant parties regarding Noor Ahmad Noor’s visit to Dhaka, various doubts and suspicions have arisen in different quarters.

Source: BBC