After tensions and various dramas, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party electoral alliance left Islami Andolan Bangladesh.
The clearest glimpse of Charmonai Pir-led party not being in this alliance was found last Thursday night. This partner party, one of the 11-party alliance, announced its decision to leave the alliance in a press conference on Friday. The alliance now consists of 10 teams.
In addition to announcing the decision to leave the alliance, Islami Andolan Bangladesh also announced yesterday that it would contest the 13th National Parliament election alone. It has also said that there will be party candidates in 268 seats out of 300 seats.
Political sources say that Islami Andolan Bangladesh has left the alliance mainly because of the failure to meet the expectations of seat sharing. The party initially expected more than 100 seats. Later they demanded a reduction of 80 seats, but other members of the coalition did not want to give up more than 40-45 seats.
Islami Andolan Bangladesh Spokesperson and Joint Secretary General Gazi Ataur Rahman announced the decision to officially leave the 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami in a press conference yesterday afternoon at the party’s central office in Purana Paltan in the capital. In the press conference, he said, “Because of Jamaat-e-Islami’s vague position and lack of political confidence, the Bangladesh Islamic Movement is not in an electoral agreement with Jamaat.”
Gazi Ataur said that the Islamic movement, which tried to consolidate the Islamist power after August 5, has not achieved its goal in the end, so there is a concern. Their party has been the victim of hostility on the question of principles, ideals and justice.
Regarding the election preparations, the spokesman of the Islamic Movement said, ‘Our position is clear. We have candidates in 268 seats out of 300 seats across the country. The remaining 32 seats are currently vacant. But we will support those seats also. After the deadline for withdrawing nomination papers, we will decide exactly who we are supporting. In this case, we will support only those qualified candidates who are compatible with our principles, ideals and goals.’
Gazi Ataur Rahman also said, ‘Jamaat-e-Islami will rule the country under Shariah law or not.’ But the main reason for the country’s current misery is the existing law. Our politics is for changing that law. If the main party to the agreement vows to govern the country under existing laws, then we are concerned. We do policy politics and when there are differences of opinion on fundamental principles, there is no chance of compromise with them.’
The spokesperson of Islami Andolan Bangladesh said, “We are very worried that there will be a fair, impartial and acceptable election in the coming days or not.” There is a strong fear among us that some other plan is being made behind the scenes or on the ground in unison with us.’ He said, they think it is important to reveal these issues to the public. People are realizing the situation. They are also receiving various types of news from different directions. What kind of planning or coordination is being done with different states is still unclear to them.
From September to November last year, a total of eight parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, participated in the simultaneous movement for five demands, including the legal basis of the National Charter, the referendum before the elections. At the beginning of December in a press conference in the capital’s Paltan, eight parties announced the seat settlement alliance on the ‘one box’ principle. Later, LDP, AB Party and NCP joined, bringing the number of parties in the alliance to 11. The final announcement of the seat agreement was supposed to be made in mid-December, but the announcement did not come as the negotiations were not over.
According to a source related to the alliance, Islami Andolan Bangladesh was expecting more than 100 seats from the beginning. But the alliance proposed a maximum of 40 to 45 seats. The last Islamic Movement demanded 80 seats, but the other members of the alliance did not agree to meet their expectations. It has not been resolved even after several meetings. The Islamic Movement of Bangladesh is bent over.
Last Thursday, the top leaders of other parties of the alliance held a final meeting without the Islamic movement. Amir Maulana Mamunul Haque of Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis took the responsibility of mediating with the Islamic movement from the meeting. After the meeting at 3 o’clock, a press conference was announced at 8 o’clock and the decision of the Islamic Movement was awaited. Later in the night, the leaders of the other parties announced a compromise on 253 seats without them as the Islamic movement did not come to the press conference.
Islami Andolan Bangladesh announced to hold a press conference yesterday. In this press conference, the party announced to leave the alliance.
Jamaat’s response
Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Ehsanul Mahbub Jubair said in a press statement sent to the media yesterday that Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami always maintains political etiquette and deals with all political parties on the basis of mutual respect and respect. Does not treat anyone with unethical political behavior. He said that Gazi Ataur Rahman’s comment that ‘Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has gone in a different direction from God’s law and Islamic ideals’ is also not correct. They think that he has made such comments with the intention of creating confusion in the public mind.
Jamaat won 31 of the remaining 47 seats
Jamaat Naib Amir Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher announced the compromise on 253 seats at the alliance’s press conference on Thursday. It has been roughly decided which party will get the remaining 47 seats apart from the Islamic movement alliance. Sources say that Jamaat-e-Islami will take 31 seats from the remaining seats. That is, Jamaat can contest elections in total 210 seats. The remaining 16 seats will be distributed among other alliance partners.
