by Anowar Hossain in Prothom Alo, Dec 7, 2023
Dhaka: The governing Awami League has successfully brought together moderate, small, Islamic, and other parties, including the Jatiya Party (JaPa), to participate in the forthcoming 12th parliamentary elections that have been boycotted by the de facto opposition party, BNP.
However, instead of competing against the Awami League, these parties are interested in collaborating and sharing seats with the ruling party. Many of these political parties have even been requesting the AL to use its election symbol, the boat, for their top leaders.
In a recent development, the General Secretary of Jatiya Party, Mujibul Haque Chunnu, and Anisul Islam Mahmud had a discreet meeting with Awami League leaders, including Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, to discuss a potential seat agreement.
The details of the meeting were kept confidential, and neither side disclosed the venue or the content of the discussion. However, sources suggest that the meeting took place at a politician’s residence in Gulshan. The discussions revolved around the benefits that Awami League could offer to Jatiya Party in the upcoming election, including the allocation of seats.
After the meeting between the Jatiya Party (JaPa) and Awami League leaders, Mujibul Haque Chunnu informed Prothom Alo that various issues were discussed in the meeting, but nothing has been finalised. JaPa plans to hold a press conference on Thursday to provide a detailed statement regarding the discussions.
Awami League joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, who participated in the meeting, shared with Prothom Alo that there was a consensus with JaPa about participating in the elections and advancing the democratic process. He described the meeting as fruitful.
It was previously reported that some top leaders of JaPa had a meeting with Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban on Tuesday night.
Additionally, on 4 December, members of the Awami League-led 14-party alliance held a meeting with the prime minister at Ganabhaban, where they discussed seat sharing. However, the final decision on how many seats will be allocated with the boat symbol has not been settled yet.
In addition to the 14-party coalition, the Jatiya Party (JaPa), the main opposition party in parliament, is also reportedly seeking to secure the boat symbol for the upcoming elections.
However, they are not openly expressing this desire. Some leaders within the party are in favour of obtaining the boat symbol. Additionally, the Islamic parties and a newly registered party known as the ‘King’s Party’ are also vying to secure the boat symbol.
Out of the 44 registered parties, 29 are set to participate in the 12th National Parliament elections, though this number may change following the finalisation of the nomination list.
A closer analysis reveals that at least 20 of the participating parties express interest in contesting the elections directly with the boat symbol. Some smaller and Islamic parties, while participating independently, are inclined towards a seat agreement with the Awami League.
Meanwhile, certain parties acknowledge that they may not obtain the boat symbol but are seeking recognition as allies of the Awami League in the elections.
According to sources, many leaders within the ruling Awami League have opted to run as independent candidates in many constituencies, alongside the official Awami League party candidates. This approach has prompted leaders from other participating parties to recognise the challenges they face in terms of financial, organisational, and human resources, leading them to seek compromises.
The overarching strategy involves reaching compromises for key and influential seats first, allowing the Awami League to have candidates in other constituencies, showcasing their participation in the electoral process.
The deadline for withdrawing candidature is 17 December. The finalisation of agreements in the intervening period is important.
https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/politics/un2p4ga1et
