Jamaat-e-Islami has almost finalized the negotiation of seats with like-minded parties ahead of the National Assembly elections. Candidates from like-minded parties will compete in which seats based on their qualifications and potential, the calculation is also at the very last stage. If everything goes well, it is said that the official announcement will be made in the first week of next month if not this month.
Hamidur Rahman Azad, Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat, said that he expected to finish the seat reconciliation process before announcing the election schedule. “We have already announced our primary candidate list,” he said to the daily newspaper, stating that there is still some discussion to be done regarding the compromise. Now that we have to compromise with some of the other parties… there are a lot of things to talk about.’
So far, eight like-minded parties including Jamaat have united and are holding simultaneous agitation programs. Six of them are Islamist political parties. Apart from Jamaat, the other parties are—Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis, Khilafat Majlis, Bangladesh Khilafat Andolan, Nezam Islam Party, Jatiya Gontantric Party (JAGPA) and Bangladesh Development Party. At least two to three more parties may join these eight parties based on the election. In all, it is said that there will be seat compromise between 10 or 11 parties.
The election schedule is likely to be announced in the first part of December. Sources of Jamaat and like-minded parties said that they will publish the list of final candidates for each constituency based on consensus. The leaders of the parties are planning to fight the election war with a coordinated strategy. For this, they said that people with popularity, leadership ability and above all winning the election will get priority in becoming candidates.
Ashraf Ali Akon, a presidium member of the Islamic Movement, said, ‘Which candidate of any party is in a good position in any place; Our discussion and survey are going on. Irrespective of the candidate of the party, we want to win the maximum number of candidates of the alliance and go to the parliament.
Rashed Pradhan, vice-president of Jagpa, told Ajkar newspaper that the list of party candidates is being prepared through discussion in the highest forum of the eight parties. After that, the matter will be finalized by making the list of candidates of all the parties in one place. Rashed Pradhan said that discussions are going on with two or three other teams, ‘eight teams may become 10 or 11 teams before the final list is published. We hope everything will be finalized ahead of schedule.’
Secretary General of Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis Jalaluddin Ahmad said about similar situation and preparations. He told today’s newspaper, ‘Some other groups are also contacting, we will also involve them. Now each party is preparing its list which may have to compromise on some seats. This list has been done by many, many are still doing it. We will sit down with that very quickly. There are plans to finalize the schedule before announcing it. However, the issue of who will give candidates for how many seats has not been finalized yet.
Jamaat had announced potential candidates for 300 seats a year ago ahead of the parliamentary elections. However, later Amir Dr. Several leaders of the party including Shafiqur Rahman said that the list is not final. The party’s policy makers have already hinted at alliances or compromises with like-minded parties. The party’s general secretary Mia Golam Parwar said in a rally in Khulna on October 3 about concession of 100 seats for the partners. Although his statement is now being claimed as ‘personal’ by the Jamaat.
Jamaat’s Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad said, “There was no party discussion regarding what he said in the meeting.”
Right now, like-minded groups of Jamaat are continuing to fight for seats. But the responsible leaders of the parties say that they are ready to give maximum concessions for the sake of compromise.
Rashed Pradhan, vice-president of Jagpa, said on Wednesday, “If our party held a single election, it was supposed to give candidates for 10 seats this time. But since the seats are being negotiated, we are ready to give maximum concessions. We expect to seek four seats. However, it is not final yet. Tomorrow (Thursday) we have a meeting at the highest policy-making level, where the decision may be final.’
Secretary General of Bangladesh Development Party Kazi Nizamul Haque Naeem told Ajker newspaper that there is no final discussion about the number of seats that the parties deserve. His party is likely to contest three to four seats.
Meanwhile, it is known that even if electoral alliances or seats are negotiated around the national election, it is not limited to this election only. The leaders of the parties said that this agreement will be maintained in the local government elections as well.
Ashraf Ali Akon, presidium member of Islami Andolan Bangladesh, said, ‘This agreement of ours will be valid not only in the national elections, but also in the local government elections. In the seat where one party will get MP, the other party will elect upazila chairman in that seat. Such a process will be implemented right up to the union level.
