Seven Islamic parties differ over leadership, alliance conditions

Although discussions on the framework for a proposed political alliance among seven Qawmi-oriented Islamic parties have made progress, the parties have failed to reach agreement on several key conditions. They remain divided over who will serve as convener and member secretary of the seven-party alliance, how leadership will change after the committee’s term ends, and what would happen if a party is part of another political alliance or wants to join a new alliance in the future. As a result, the unity of the seven parties has not yet been finalised.

However, it has been decided to form a 24-member liaison committee to advance the unity process. Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh Secretary General Allama Sajidur Rahman has been named convener of the liaison committee. The committee will include three leaders from each of the seven parties, along with two additional Hefazat leaders.

The seven parties have been asked to send the names of their representatives to Hefazat’s secretary general within two days. A meeting is scheduled to be held in Dhaka on 22 October to finalise the framework for the alliance.

The seven parties involved in the unity process are Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh, Khelafat Majlis, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, Islami Oikya Jote and Bangladesh Nezam-e-Islam Party.

Speaking to Prothom Alo by phone on Sunday evening, Islami Andolan Secretary General Gazi Ataur Rahman said everyone had expressed their views at the meeting. Considerable progress had been made towards forming the alliance, but a liaison committee was formed because some issues required further review.

According to meeting sources, representatives of the seven parties began their meeting at 11am on Sunday at Al-Jamiatul Islamia Azizul Ulum Babunagar Madrasa in Fatikchhari, Chattogram. The meeting was chaired by Hefazat-e-Islam Amir Allama Shah Muhibbullah Babunagari. Five representatives from each of the seven parties, a total of 35, attended the meeting.

Secretary General of the Qawmi madrasa education board Befaqul Madarisil Arabia Bangladesh Maulana Muhammad Mahfuzul Haque and leaders of a subcommittee formed by Hefazat-e-Islam to finalise the alliance were also present. The meeting continued until 1pm.

At the beginning of the meeting, the subcommittee presented a draft framework. Each party was then given half an hour to discuss the framework within its own forum. The parties subsequently presented their views. However, there were differences over several provisions.

Hefazat-e-Islam had formed a seven-member subcommittee to work on the alliance. Its members are Hefazat Secretary General Sajidur Rahman, senior mufti of Chattogram’s Hathazari Madrasa Allama Jasim Uddin, Hefazat Naib-e-Amirs Abdul Hamid, also known as Madhupur Pir, and Salahuddin Nanupuri, organising secretary Mufti Bashir Ullah, Narayanganj district president Maulana Abdul Awal, and Hefazat Amir’s son Mufti Ayub Babunagari.

The subcommittee collected proposals on the alliance framework from all the parties and then prepared a draft. The discussion on Sunday focused on that draft framework.

Asked about the meeting, Mufti Bashir Ullah told Prothom Alo that the unity process among the seven parties had advanced considerably. A liaison committee had been formed to discuss some issues further, and the committee would finalise the framework for the alliance.

According to meeting sources, the draft framework for the seven-party alliance was presented at the outset. The parties then discussed it among themselves and gave their views. Representatives of each party subsequently presented their individual proposals and objections.

The discussions covered who would initially serve as convener and member secretary of the seven-party alliance, how the committee would be changed every six months, and what conditions would apply if a party was already part of another political alliance or wanted to join another alliance in the future. As the parties could not reach a consensus on these issues, the framework could not be finalised.

Several leaders involved in the unity process said the nature of alliances and political understandings among parties in Bangladesh changes over time. Therefore, they said, it needs further consideration whether it would be realistic to impose a condition barring any party from maintaining relations with another political party or alliance.

A senior leader of one of the parties told Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity that the parties had not been given the draft framework before the meeting. They received it at Sunday’s meeting, so some issues would need to be discussed within their respective party forums before decisions could be made.

There are also discussions among the parties over how much of a role Hefazat-e-Islam should have in the seven-party unity process. Some leaders believe Hefazat should step back from the decision-making process once the alliance is finalised. They argue that Hefazat is a non-political organisation and that political parties should retain autonomy over their strategic decisions.

A senior leader of one of the parties told Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity that direct involvement of a non-political organisation in the decision-making of political parties could create complications. Hefazat could remain as a “shadow” over the alliance to prevent disputes or disorder among the parties, the leader said. However, political parties should retain independence in decision-making.