Fearing possible loss of control over the administration, ruling Awami League policymakers are rethinking about the tenure of the polls-time government and its size.
Senior AL leaders want the polls-time government to be in power for a ‘very short period’ of time, assuming that it will not be possible for them to keep the administration in their grip should it be there for a significant number of days.
Besides, the AL camp fears, it may give the rival parties enough time to counter their tactics during the ‘interim’ period of holding the national elections.
“It depends on the prime minister [and Awami League president]. She will soon sit with the 14-Party Alliance and then make a decision,” AL presidium member and 14-Party spokesperson Mohammad Nasim told this correspondent.
Premier Sheikh Hasina will speak to leader of the official opposition in parliament Rawshan Ershad as well, AL leaders say.
The polls-time government will probably be announced at the end of October or in the beginning of November, they added.
The cabinet will probably be 25-strong, to be headed of course by Hasina, according to the AL leaders.
The polls-time government of the 5 January 2014 election had 29 ministers and state ministers besides 10 advisers. The then ministers all submitted resignation letters to the prime minister and she then formed a fresh cabinet as per her choice, keeping some old guns and bringing in some other faces.
However, this cabinet will only consist of allies that have representation in parliament. Jatiya Party co-chairman Rawshan Ershad will be in the cabinet it seems.
On 9 September, official parliamentary opposition Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad met Sheikh Hasina and urged her to keep three from his party to be inducted into the polls-time cabinet.
However, the prime minister said she will make a decision in consultation with Rawshan.
A central leader of the ruling party, seeking anonymity, said the main apprehension of the opposition parties is that the government will influence the polls.
To this end, the speaker may issue a ruling, barring the MPs and ministers to not use their state privileges for their favoured candidates.
AL camp believes there is little chance of making any concession to the opposition parties’ demands.
Principal opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the newly formed ‘National Unity Process’ have been demanding an election-time neutral government through talks with political parties, effective steps for reconstituting the election commission and dissolution of parliament before the announcement of the election schedule.
*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Quamrul Hassan