By Mohiuddin Alamgir in The Daily Star, Nov 28, 2023
Twenty-three of the 44 registered political parties, mostly ruling alliance members, little-known and recently-formed ones, have shown interest to take part in the January 7 national election until Sunday. They have also written letters to the commission in this regard.
They are sending letters to the commission letting the latter know who will be signing nomination papers of candidates on behalf of their parties and whether they want to take part in the polls under an alliance.
EC sources said besides these 23 parties, Gonoforum also sent a letter to the EC mentioning its General Secretary Mizanur Rahman will sign nomination papers of their party contestants.
Contacted, Mizanur said he did this in response to a prior letter sent to the EC from a Gonoforum leader, who identified himself as the party’s executive chairman. He also claimed that he would be signing the nomination papers for the party.
“We did it so that EC does not allocate our symbol to anyone. It has no relation with joining the polls. Moreover, our central committee on November 25 decided that we will not take part in the election,” Mizanur told this newspaper.
EC sources said Awami League, Jatiya Party (Manju), Krishak Shramik Janata League, Gonotantri Party, Bangladesh National Awami Party (Bangladesh Nap), Workers Party of Bangladesh, Jatiya Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Inu), Zaker Party, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, National People’s Party, Gono Front, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (Mukit), Islamic Front Bangladesh, Islami Oikya Jote, Bangladesh Islami Front, Bangladesh Nationalist Front, Bangladesh Congress, Bangladesh Samyabadi Dal, Bikolpodhara Bangladesh, Trinamool BNP, Bangladesh Nationalist Movement, and Bangladesh Supreme Party, have shown interests to take part in the polls.
The six parties who want to use “boat” as their symbol alongside their own are Workers Party of Bangladesh, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Inu), Samyabadi Dal, Jatiya Party (JP-Monju), Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, and Ganotanti Party, EC sources said.
Meanwhile, Jatiya Party’s chief patron and Leader of the Opposition Raushan Ershad in a letter to the commission said the party has decided to participate in the election under AL-led grand alliance, like in the past three general polls.
Raushan said the JP-nominated candidates will have the liberty to choose whether to run with JP’s symbol “plough” or the grand alliance’s boat.
Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh too has told the EC they want to participate in the polls as part of the ruling grand alliance.
Meanwhile, BNP and several other parties say they will not take part in the election unless the government resigns and there is a non-partisan polls-time government.
After the EC announced the polls schedule on November 15, the BNP and its allies rejected it and called nationwide strikes.
Twelve parties ran in the 2014 election which was boycotted by the BNP and most other opposition parties. Although 39 parties participated in the 2018 election, the results were rejected by the BNP and several other parties, citing widespread irregularities.
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/23-parties-want-join-polls-so-far-3480716
