Dhaka, June 19 -- Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has taken a veiled swipe at former ally Jamaat-e-Islami, suggesting the Islamist party's recent frustration over the proposed February general election stems from fears of becoming politically irrelevant.

Speaking at a BNP event in Dhaka on Wednesday, the BNP secretary general said: "Some are upset because they know they'll have no importance once an election takes place. Right now, in the absence of elections, they're more relevant, but that won't last."

His comments come a day after Jamaat boycotted a meeting of the National Consensus Commission, following a joint declaration between BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus.

The statement, issued after their pri...