By Rashidul Hasan in The Daily Star, Nov 21, 2023
Jatiya Party is selling nomination forms and preparing for the polls even though it claims it has not decided to join the election.
Party insiders said the JP was delaying the announcement on taking part in the January 7 election so that it could have a leverage while bargaining with the Awami League over securing polls-related benefits.
The BNP and its allies have said that they would boycott the elections if the government did not resign and the elections were not held under a neutral polls-time government.
Almost all senior JP leaders, including Chairman GM Quader, Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu, and Senior Co-chairman Anisul Islam Mahmud, collected nomination forms from the chairman’s Banani office yesterday.
Speaking to reporters at the office, Chunnu said, “We have started selling nomination forms, but we are yet to make the final decision on running.”
The JP was observing the election environment, he said, adding that the party was completing some election-related formalities as there were obligations to complete those on time.
“The party chairman will decide on participating in the election before November 30, the last day for filing nomination forms.”
Chunnu called upon the government to create an environment conducive to casting ballots in a peaceful manner.
Responding to a question, the JP secretary general said they were planning to field candidates in all 300 constituencies and that the nominees would run on the party’s electoral symbol “plough”.
However, JP co-chairmen Ruhul Amin Hawlader and Kazi Firoz Rashid told reporters that the party would run in the 12th parliamentary polls in the greater interest of the country and the people.
“We all have to work together to make sure that development work continue in the country. We believe the election will be free and fair.” Hawlader said.
Several JP leaders told The Daily Star that the party adopted the strategy not to make the final announcement on running as its high-ups want to bargain with the AL over some election-related benefits.
“The high-ups want an assurance that at least 40 to 50 Jatiya Party leaders would win the elections without having to face Awami League candidates,” a JP presidium member told this correspondent wishing anonymity.
Quader also wants the government not to attach importance to party Chief Partron Raushan Ershad and also not to create any “trouble” by using her, added the JP leader.
Visiting the JP chairman’s Banani office yesterday, this correspondent saw the office premises full of leaders and activists. Eight booths were set up on the third floor for selling nomination forms.
On Saturday, Raushan and Chunnu sent two separate letters to the Election Commission.
Raushan, also the leader of the opposition in parliament, told the EC that the JP will participate in the election under the AL-led grand alliance and that the party nominees would run on its electoral symbol “plough”.
Chunnu in his letter said Quader will sign the party’s nomination forms.
Asked about the rift within the JP, Chunnu claimed there was no division in the party.
“She has no authority to send such a letter to the EC,” he told journalists.
The JP told the media that Raushan collected a nomination form yesterday abut later on said she did not do so.
Raushan’s Spokesperson Kazi Mamunur Rashid said the opposition leader was yet to collect the nomination paper.
Meanwhile, the JP yesterday earned Tk 1.67 crore selling 557 nomination forms at Tk 30,000 each. Selling of nomination papers will continue until November 23.
After interviewing the nomination seekers, the party will declare the final list of its candidate on November 27.
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/jp-polls-bound-wont-say-it-3474856
