Islamist parties led by Jamaat-e-Islami still not on board over seat-sharing

Partners threaten to leave if no agreement is reached on expected seat-sharing and policy issues

Members of the 11-party coalition led by Jamaat-e-Islami, formed to woo Islamist votes, have yet to reach an agreement on seat-sharing for the parliamentary elections.

Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) have hinted that they may ultimately leave the alliance if they do not get their expected seats and if consensus on principles is not reached.

AB Party Chairman Mohammed Mojibur Rahman Bhuiyan said they “may not remain in the alliance” without an agreement, while Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s Organising Secretary Shah Iftekhar Tariq said they have an “alternative plan” ready to follow if issues are not resolved.

Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, however, is optimistic and hopes a resolution will be reached in a day or two.

Eight religion-based parties converged in the alliance with the demand for parliamentary polls under the proportional representation (PR) system and a referendum before the general election.

The parties were Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Khelafat Majlis, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon, Bangladesh Nezam-e-Islam Party, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (JAGPA), and Bangladesh Development Party (BDP).

As the parliamentary elections approached, the alliance began taking shape, with the National Citizen Party (NCP), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and AB Party announcing their entry into the coalition around the time of nomination submission.

Media reports have highlighted differences over seat-sharing among the coalition partners ever since. Jamaat has nominated candidates for 276 seats, while Islami Andolan for 268. Reports in the media suggest Islami Andolan expects to get 150 seats instead of the 35 offered as the alliance partner.

Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis are not happy with 13 seats assigned against their expectation to get 50 constituencies. Khelafat Majlis will contest only five seats despite asking for more than 25, while Nezam-e-Islam and Khelafat Andolon have two seats each, and BDP and JAGPA have one seat each.

The NCP had initially demanded over 50 seats, but an agreement was reached for 30, with the final settlement still pending.

AB Party’s Mojibur Rahman said the so-called 11-party alliance has not yet formally taken shape, with the parties not officially meeting yet. He said his party was offered three seats, which they did not accept, and a discussion was ongoing over the matter.

Mojibur added that the AB Party is more concerned with the alliance’s structure, name, and purpose than seat numbers. He said the principles of seat-sharing need to be finalised by all 11 parties before any settlement.

When asked whether AB Party would remain in the alliance if its seat share remained the same, he said: “We are not clarifying that at this moment.”

Islami Andolan’s Shah Iftekhar told bdnews24.com that there are still some issues over seat-sharing and that the party has alternatives if an agreement cannot be reached.

Asked about the tension with Jamaat, he said it stems from when someone tries to act arbitrarily instead of respecting coalition principles.

Mamunul Haque, chief of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, expressed hope that seat-sharing and other issues will be resolved by tomorrow, while Jamaat’s Hamidur Rahman said they expect a resolution within a day or two.