As Bangladesh gears up for election, where do religious parties stand?

A recent meeting between leaders of nine Islamic groups and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has added a fresh perspective to the pre-election discourse

Regardless of the turnout in religious events, support for Islamic-minded parties at the ballot box has traditionally been weak in Bangladesh. Nevertheless, their influence tends to grow during election seasons.

As the 12th national election approaches, the BNP remains steadfast in its stance to boycott the polls unless a caretaker government is installed. Former allies of its disbanded alliance and some like-minded groups are also following suit.

The emergence of new parties has added an intriguing layer to the political arena ahead of the election, sparking widespread discussions. The recent meeting between leaders of nine Islamic groups and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has brought a fresh perspective to the discourse.

While some of these nine parties have been closely aligned with the Awami League in recent years, the majority have been engaged in anti-Awami League politics.

Should these parties choose to participate in the polls, the number of parties involved in the election will increase. However, doubts linger about whether the competition will intensify.

Past election results indicate that these parties have generally received minimal votes, with some candidates succeeding primarily through alliances with major parties.

An analysis of the results of the ninth, 10th, and 11th parliamentary elections reveals that among religious parties, the Bangladesh Muslim League received the least votes at 228, while the Islamic Andolan secured the highest with 650,000 votes.

Tarikat Federation and Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam bagged almost 250,000 votes, but their support was derived from alliances with the Awami League and the BNP, respectively.

The Jamaat-e-Islami, hitherto the country's strongest religiously oriented political party, had amassed more than 3.2 million votes, but the group now faces significant hurdles as its registration has been cancelled. Despite heavy criticism from various quarters, its longtime ally, the BNP, continues its association with the Jamaat due to its substantial voter base.

However, the Jamaat's prospects of participating in the upcoming elections using its own symbol are next to none. In the last national election, the Islamist outfit's leaders contested the polls under the BNP's 'paddy sheaf' electoral symbol.

“When it comes to election time, the value of smaller parties increases. Even if they don't participate in the polls, everyone tries to form alliances. It makes the election appear participatory,” said Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, chairman of the National Election Monitoring Council.

Out of the 44 registered parties, the BNP and like-minded parties have announced their decision not to participate in the polls, he noted.

"This time, the situation is different. Everyone is advocating for inclusive elections. In this case, the greater the number of participating parties, the more credible the elections will appear."

“An essential element of credible elections is party participation. Efforts are focused on getting influential figures on board even if parties cannot be drawn to the polls.”

In the schedule for the Jan 7 national polls, the deadline for submission of nomination papers has been set for Nov 30. Parties must decide on contesting the polls by then.

Among the 44 registered parties, 14 are religiously oriented. Some align with the Awami League, some with the BNP, and a few operate independently. Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, Bangladesh Muslim League, Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Bangladesh, Islami Oikya Jote, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Bangladesh Islami Front, and Khelafat Majlish are contemplating their participation in the elections.

While some parties have indicated their intent to participate, others remain adamant about abstaining.

WHERE DO THE PARTIES STAND?

Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Khelafat Majlish, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, and Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam have opted out of the electoral contest.

Shahidul Islam Kabir, a spokesperson for the Islami Andolan, which has been a focal point among religious parties in recent years, said, "Our leader has announced our intention to participate in the polls under a non-partisan government. There's nothing more to add.

"The Islami Andolan engages in the politics of piety. We do not align with the Awami League or the BNP."

There is also a distinction between the demands of the Islami Andolan and those who refuse to participate in the polls under the incumbent Awami League government. The party is not only calling for the implementation of a caretaker government system, but the reconstitution of the Election Commission.

Khelafat Majlish has also decided to stay out of the electoral fray.

"For the past year, we have been advocating for elections under a non-partisan government, but it hasn't materialised. As a result, our Shura members believe it would be inappropriate to hold an election," said Ahmad Abdul Quader, secretary general of Khelafat Majlish

The party had been allied with the BNP and Jamaat since 1999, but severed ties after Quader's arrest while he was affiliated with Hifazat-e-Islam.

Khelafat Majlish, Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam, and five other parties have formed an alliance called 'Samamana Islami Dal.'

Shahinur Pasha Chowdhury, a former lawmaker from Jamiat Ulema, along with 13 leaders from nine Islamic parties, met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday night. Jamiat announced its decision not to participate in the polls and suspended Shahinur's membership after the meeting

Jamiat Secretary General Manjurul Islam Efendi reiterated the party's current stance of abstaining from the elections.

"We participated in the ninth and 11th parliamentary elections. We garnered a good number of votes. However, we will not participate in the elections under a partisan government."

The head of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, Ataullah Hafezzi, who is also a leader of Hefazat-e-Islam, attended the meeting with the prime minister. The party is part of the Islami Samamana Dal.

Mufti Sultan Mohiuddin, a Shura member of the Khelafat Andolan, said, "The prime minister extended an invitation, so Amir Ataullah Hafezzi and Secretary General Maulana Habibullah Miyazi attended. It was a courtesy meeting.

After an internal meeting on Saturday, the party announced its plans to contest the elections.

Mufti Mohammad Faizullah, secretary general of Islami Oikya Jote, who also met Hasina, said, "The prime minister spoke about cooperation to ensure fair elections. A decision will be made in a meeting in two days regarding the number of seats we will vie for."

Among other religious parties, the Tarikat Federation has been participating in elections as part of an alliance with the Awami League.

Bangladesh Kallyan Party has announced its intention to participate in the polls after withdrawing support for the BNP's antigovernment movement. They have formed alliances with the Bangladesh Muslim League and a faction of the Jatiya Party.

The newly registered Bangladesh Supreme Party (BSP) has also issued nomination forms. Meanwhile, Insaniat Biplab Bangladesh Secretary General Md Rehan Afzal said the party is "humanity-based" and emphasised their refusal to participate in elections under a partisan government.

HOW MUCH ELECTORAL SWAY DO ISLAMIC PARTIES?

Two out of the last three parliamentary elections can be described as participatory, while one saw a majority of registered parties boycotting the electoral process.

In the 9th parliamentary elections held on Dec 29, 2008, the BNP's coalition ally Jamaat-e-Islami fielded 39 candidates who secured 3.29 million votes, constituting 4.70 percent of the total ballots cast.

Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam were in the race for seven seats independently, using both the palm tree and paddy sheaf symbols as part of the BNP coalition. They amassed 175,245 votes, mostly from the BNP's election logo.

Islami Oikya Jote, utilising the minaret and paddy sheaf symbols, garnered 108,415 votes across seven seats, representing 0.15 percent of the total votes. Islami Andolan Bangladesh, with its hand fan symbol, secured 658,254 votes (0.94 percent). Their ally, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, obtained 16,944 votes (0.02 percent) in 33 seats.

Among non-alliance parties, Bangladesh Islami Front received 31,785 votes (0.05 percent) in 17 seats with the candlestick symbol. Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish received 27,921 votes (0.04 percent) in eight seats.

Tarikat Federation's 31 candidates received 19,905 votes (0.03 percent) using the flower garlands symbol. Bangladesh Muslim League, fielding five candidates with the hurricane lamp symbol, secured 1,113 votes. Two candidates of the Islamic Front Bangladesh received 566 votes with the chair symbol.

Meanwhile, the Awami League won the elections by a landslide, receiving 48.04 percent of the total votes. The BNP secured 32.50 percent of the votes, followed by the Jatiya Party with 7.04 percent.

Twelve parties participated in the 10th parliamentary elections. Among them, three candidates of Awami League's ally Bangladesh Tarikat Federation secured 177,449 votes (1.04 percent) with the flower garland symbol.

Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish received 5,725 votes (0.03 percent) in two seats under the rickshaw symbol. A candidate from the Bangladesh Islami Front secured 2,585 votes (0.02 percent) with the candlestick symbol.

The election, which the BNP and like-minded parties boycotted, saw the Awami League bag 72.14 percent of the votes, while the Jatiya Party obtained 7 percent.

In the 11th parliamentary elections, with Jamaat's registration cancelled, 25 candidates initially submitted nominations as independents. Later, the BNP assigned them the paddy sheaf symbol. The Islamic Andolan outperformed all other religiously oriented parties, snagging over 1.2 million votes (1.53 percent). The Bangladesh Islami Front received the second-highest, with 60,367 votes (0.09 percent).

Meanwhile, candidates running under the ruling Awami League's 'boat' symbol received 76.80 percent of the votes, followed by the BNP's paddy sheaf with 13.51 percent, and the Jatiya Party's plow with 5.37 percent.