Jamaat-e-Islami has yet to clarify its position on seat-sharing for the upcoming national elections, opting instead for a cautious and strategic approach. The party, together with seven like-minded parties including Islami Andolan Bangladesh, is using a unified set of programmes based on five demands to maintain pressure on the government while shaping its electoral strategy.
Alongside this, the parties are conducting constituency-wise surveys based on the principle of “one candidate in each seat,” and final nominations will be determined according to survey results. Sources say several more parties may be brought into this potential agreement.
For now, Jamaat and the other seven parties are not forming a formal alliance but are advancing toward an “electoral understanding,” which party leaders expect to finalise by the first week of December.
However, discussions may continue even after the election schedule is announced. In some constituencies, declared or undeclared understandings may also be reached with influential figures or nomination-deprived leaders from other parties.
A senior Jamaat leader, speaking anonymously, told Prothom Alo, “More parties may join the eight like-minded groups. Seat-sharing may bring surprises.”
Last Saturday, Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman told reporters in Chattogram, “We will not form any conventional alliance. But we will have electoral understandings with many parties and forces.”
Jamaat has not yet disclosed which other parties it is engaging with. However, discussions with several top leaders of like-minded groups indicate that the eight-party bloc is interested in bringing the National Citizen Party (NCP), Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party), and Gono Odhikar Parishad into the arrangement. Informal contacts are already underway with some of them.
Another political source said a separate effort is ongoing involving AB Party, NCP, Gono Odhikar Parishad, and UP Bangladesh to explore the possibility of forming an electoral alliance. Those involved believe that if such a bloc materialises, it could cut into Jamaat’s vote bank; hence Jamaat wants them included in its own understanding.
However, NCP Convener Nahid Islam said at a press conference yesterday that the NCP would not enter into any understanding with any party for power or seats.
Leaders of the eight-party bloc said that final decisions on seat-sharing will be based not only on political considerations but also on constituency-wise assessments of candidate popularity. Jamaat and Islami Andolan have instructed each party to conduct internal surveys and submit the findings to the liaison committee.
Syed Mosaddeque Billah Al Madani, senior presidium member of Islami Andolan Bangladesh, told Prothom Alo that surveys are being conducted in all 300 constituencies to assess popularity and winning prospects. The process may be completed by November, after which seat-sharing could be finalised in early December.
For the upcoming election, the BNP’s main rival is Jamaat-e-Islami. Following the fall of the Awami League government in the 5 August student-mass uprising last year, relations between the once-allied BNP and Jamaat grew increasingly distant.
In this situation, Jamaat moved to build political understandings with other Islamic-oriented parties. These include Islami Andolan Bangladesh led by the Charmonai Pir, Khelafat Majlish, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, Bangladesh Nezame Islam Party, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (JAGPA), and Bangladesh Development Party.
Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad, who is liaising with the like-minded parties, said, “We have had discussions. We have decided to contest the election together.” He did not provide a timeframe for finalising the understanding. “Discussions are ongoing on who will get which seat and how the understanding will be structured. We are taking a little time, but the goal is to finalise it before the announcement of the election schedule,” he added.
Two reasons for delay
Leaders of the eight-party bloc say there is good internal understanding, but two factors are delaying a final deal. Two or three parties outside the bloc are still in discussions; whether they eventually join—and if so, how many seats must be shared with them—remains under consideration.
The parties want to ensure that no internal tensions arise through outside influence after a seat-sharing agreement is made public.
A top leader of one of the like-minded parties told Prothom Alo anonymously, “The next election will largely be between the BNP-led bloc and the Jamaat-led bloc. If we reveal our understanding now, the other side may try harder to lure some parties away, potentially creating embarrassing situations. So delaying the announcement is also part of the political strategy.”
An undeclared rivalry
While Jamaat and the eight other parties move ahead with seat-sharing talks, the BNP is also trying to expand its list of electoral allies, particularly among faith-based parties, leading to an undeclared rivalry.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh and a faction of Islami Oikya Jote are already with the BNP. The Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish led by Mamunul Haque is engaged in joint programmes with the eight-party bloc, though political circles suggest the BNP is trying to bring Mamunul Haque’s party into its fold.
Mamunul Haque told Prothom Alo that although there have been policy-level discussions, no final framework has yet been laid out to “bring all Islamic parties’ votes into one basket.” Much will depend on the election schedule.
The BNP is also making major efforts to draw support from religious voters through the country’s clerics. It has developed an understanding with one faction of Hefazat-e-Islam. BNP central leaders have been attending events of religious parties, where some have publicly criticised Jamaat.
According to Jamaat leaders, the party may also field or support candidates from minority communities, as well as professionals such as physicians, lawyers, and businesspeople.
Instead of seat-sharing in some cases, Jamaat may strategically support other candidates. It is still unclear whether locally influential BNP leaders who failed to get party nomination will also be considered.
Jamaat monitoring administrative reshuffles
Alongside seat-sharing, Jamaat is keeping a close watch on administrative reshuffles. The party is repeatedly invoking the issue of a “level playing field” in meetings with the government and the Election Commission. Jamaat wants to pressure the government into ensuring maximum neutrality in administrative appointments.
In discussions with the Election Commission last Wednesday, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar proposed that after the election schedule is announced, transfers and postings of field-level officers should be conducted through lottery.
Many believe this is a Jamaat strategy to pressure the government while attempting to ensure its own followers secure administrative positions.
Strategy of the eight parties
After the July charter implementation order was issued, many thought Jamaat and the eight-party bloc would step back from their joint programmes. Instead, they announced fresh “divisional rallies.” These will start on 30 November outside Dhaka, beginning in Rajshahi and concluding in Sylhet on 6 December.
Political observers believe Jamaat aims to maintain street pressure on the government to gain “political advantage.” Through the divisional programmes, they want to signal their stance on reforms nationwide and highlight that the BNP opposes these reforms—another strategy to keep their main rival under pressure.