Leaders of 9 Islamic parties meet prime minister

Leaders of 9 Islamic parties met with the prime minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina on Thursday evening regarding the forthcoming 12th national parliament election. The meeting held at Ganabhaban lasted for over two and a half hours.

Several sources present at the meeting said, the leaders of the Islamic parties expressed their interest in joining the election. Many of them sought the support of Awami League in becoming members of parliament. In reply prime minister Sheikh Hasina called upon them to unite the pro-independence forces. She said the election would be held on time and also would be free and fair.

The parties whose leaders called upon the prime minister are Islami Oikya Jote, Islamic Front Bangladesh, Bangladesh Islami Front, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, Bangladesh Muslim League, Bangladesh Supreme Party, Bangladesh Islami Oikya Jote, Ashekane Auwlia Oikya Parishad, and Jamiyate Ulema-e Islam Bangladesh. A total of 14 leaders of these parties took part in the meeting. They included Ataullah Hafezzi, Syed Saifuddin Ahmed, Abul Hasnat Amini, Mohammad Faizullah, Syed Bahadur Shah Mojaddedi, Misbahur Rahman Chowdhury, Shahinoor Pasha Chowdhury, Alam Noori, Abul Khair and others.

Sources at the meeting said, these Islamic party leaders thanked the prime minister for the various steps taken to hold a free and fair election. They presented prime minister Sheikh Hasina with a calligraphic painting of the words 'Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim'.

Speaking to Prothom Alo about the meeting, Syed Bahadur Shah Mojaddedi said, they have taken all preparations to participate in the upcoming election. They sought the prime minister's support for the election to be free and fair.

Most of the parties which took part in the election are known to be of the government camp. However, Islami Oikya Jote and Jamiyate Ulema-e Islam and a few others had been in the BNP-led 20 party alliance. They are no longer with BNP.

Jamiyate Ulema-e Islam vice president Shahinoor Pasha Chowdhury took part in the meeting. However, the party's secretary general Manzurul Islam Affendi claimed that he had not gone there on the party's decision. This could be Shahinoor's personal matter. The matter will be discussed at the party's policymaking forum.

At the end of a meeting of six Islamic parties on Monday, they said in a press release that there was no environment for an election in the country at present. They said there was no scope to sidestep public opinion and join the election.

The chief of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan Maulana Ataullah Hafezzi had presided over that meeting. Bangladesh Muslim League secretary general Kazi Abul Khair, and Jamiyate Ulema-e Islam joint secretary general Maulana Bahauddin Zakaria had been at the meeting. Just two days later, Ataullah, Abul Khair and Jamiyate leader Shahinoor Pasha met with the prime minister at Ganabhaban and expressed interest in contesting in the election.