One Islamist candidate per seat to counter BNP
Different Islamist parties are in efforts to reach an "understanding" to counter the BNP ahead of the 13th parliamentary election.
To that end, they want to field a single candidate in every constituency in the upcoming polls.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. "Five Qawmi-based parties, including Islami Andolon Bangladesh, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Khelafat Majlish, and Jomiat-e-Ulamaye Islam, have recently formed a liaison committee to coordinate the formation process of an electoral understanding among the parties."
As part of this move, top leaders of four Islamist parties -- Islami Andolon Bangladesh (IAB), Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Khelafat Majlish, and Nejam-e-Islami Party -- held a meeting at the IAB central office at Paltan.
Discussions are also underway to include the National Citizen Party, AB Party, and Gono Odhikar Parishad.
A new political context emerged after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024. For the first time in over one and a half decades, Jamaat-e-Islami has started carrying out political programmes openly and without any hindrance.
In AL's absence in the political arena, the BNP is being seen as the biggest force. However, small parties fear that their importance will weaken if the BNP assumes power, political analysts say.
This concern, along with differing positions on reforms, is pushing the Islamist parties towards forming an alliance, they say.
Over the past few months, Jamaat and IAB have been working with the aim of fielding single candidates in every constituency and positioning themselves as an alternative to the BNP.
However, the Islamist parties do not want to call this initiative a "political alliance". Rather, they refer it to as an "electoral consensus".
According to sources in different Islamist parties, their initiative will take shape after the election schedule is announced.
They are preparing to contest the upcoming election against the BNP with the assumption that the AL will not be able to participate.
On the key issues like constitutional reforms, most of the parties have similar positions.
Jamaat, NCP, IAB, and both factions of Khelafat Majlish, among others, support elections to the proposed upper house of parliament through proportional representation.
Jamaat and Islami Andolon also want the PR system for the lower house.
But the BNP has disagreed with the proposals. The party believes that seats in the upper house should be distributed based on seats won in the lower house, and that the proportional representation system is complex.
These differences are creating a space for mutual understanding among Islamist parties and others like the NCP.
Recently, IAB organised a rally in Dhaka demanding reforms, justice for the July victims, and polls under the PR system.
Leaders from Jamaat, NCP, and other parties joined, but no one from the BNP was present. Statements by leaders of several religion-based parties at the rally indicated their intention to contest the election under an alliance.
This was seen as a primary step towards uniting Islamist parties in one platform ahead of the polls.
"Five Qawmi-based parties, including Islami Andolon Bangladesh, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Khelafat Majlish, and Jomiat-e-Ulamaye Islam, have recently formed a liaison committee to coordinate the formation process of an electoral understanding among the parties," IAB Secretary General Yunus Ahmed told The Daily Star.
"Everything about this process will be visible once the election schedule is announced," he said.
IAB Ameer Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim was the first who in December last year said Islamist parties would present unified candidates in all constituencies in the upcoming general election.
In April, Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman agreed to the initiative to bring those who vote for Islamist parties under one banner.
Since then, Jamaat and IAB have held multiple informal meetings or discussions.
Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar recently said the Islamist parties reached an understanding that there would be a single ballot box for them in the upcoming election.
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