Dhaka, Jan. 22 -- As the Jamaat-e-Islami readies for its strongest showing at the polls next month, US diplomats are quietly signalling a willingness to engage with the once-banned party, reports The Washington Post, citing audio recordings it says it obtained.

The party, historically outlawed under successive governments -- most recently by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina before her 2024 ouster, has long championed Shariah-based governance.

If elected to power, Jamaat has vowed reduced work hours for women, citing family duties, also seeking to recast itself as an anti-corruption force, softening its image to appeal to a broader electorate, the report added.

In a Dec 1 closed-door discussion with female Bangladeshi journalists, a ...