Jamaat and Islami Andolan yet to finalise seat-sharing negotiation

Differences between Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Andolan Bangladesh over electoral seat-sharing have not yet been fully resolved. Due to discontent among two or three other parties over seat allocation an agreement covering all 300 constituencies has still not been finalised.

In this situation, talks have resumed with the intervention of top leaders from both parties. Both sides say they want to reach an agreement quickly.

Under the schedule for the 13th parliamentary elections, the deadline for submitting nomination papers was 29 December, while candidates may withdraw their nominations until 20 January. With these deadlines approaching, pressure is mounting on alliance partners to finalise seat-sharing arrangements.

Sources say that at the outset of negotiations, Islami Andolan demanded more than 100 seats. Other parties also made relatively high demands. However, at one point, the inclusion of the National Citizen Party (NCP) in the seat-sharing talks created instability and dissatisfaction among Islami Andolan and several other parties over the number of seats.

At a press conference held on 28 December under the banner of eight parties, Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Shafiqur Rahman announced that the NCP and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), led by retired Colonel Oli Ahmed, were joining the seat-sharing arrangement.

This increased the number of parties in the alliance from eight to 10. Later, when the Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) joined, the number of party rose to 11, prompting fresh calculations over seat distribution.

While negotiations were ongoing, Jamaat submitted nomination papers in 276 constituencies and Islami Andolan in 268. At the same time, the NCP submitted nominations in 44 seats, the AB Party in 53, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish in 94, Khelafat Majlish in 68, the LDP in 24, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan in 11, Bangladesh Nizam-e-Islam Party in six, JAGPA in three, and the BDP in two constituencies.

On Sunday, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish ameer Maulana Mamunul Haque told Prothom Alo that the earlier crisis over seat allocation has not been fully resolved.

He said that joint surveys were supposed to be conducted by all parties in some constituencies where no agreement has been reached, but that has not happened yet.

Overall, finalising the seat-sharing deal would take some more time, though he noted that all the parties have shown a flexible attitude.

He expressed hope that the talks on understanding would reach a stage of resolution within three to four days.

A day after nomination papers were submitted, senior Islami Andolan nayeb-e-ameer Syed Muhammad Faizul Karim publicly expressed dissatisfaction.

He claimed that his party fell into the ‘A’ category in 143 constituencies, but that the negotiations were not reflecting this reality.

Questioning why his party should seek seats from Jamaat, Faizul Karim stated that Islami Andolan was the first party to announce a ‘one-box’ policy.

If the issue of giving seats to others arose, the question would be whether Islami Andolan was giving up seats, he added.

Some leaders within the Islami Andolan believe that Jamaat is giving comparatively greater importance to the NCP. With three new parties, including the NCP, joining the negotiations, seat sharing now have to be reconsidered, forcing a reduction in the number of constituencies previously prepared for.

This has created resentment among grassroots leaders and activists of Islami Andolan and several other parties. There are also reports of dissatisfaction at the grassroots level within Jamaat in some areas.

According to party sources, after the most recent meeting of eight parties, Jamaat proposed giving 35 to 40 seats to Islami Andolan, 30 to the NCP, 11 to Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, three to Khelafat Majlish, three to the AB Party, two to the LDP, and two to the BDP.

Against this backdrop, Islami Andolan at one point signalled that it might withdraw from the negotiations. Soon afterwards, supporters of both sides began making statements for and against the talks, and aggressive posts spread on social media.

A central leader of Islami Andolan, speaking to Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity, said that from the beginning it had been agreed that seat allocation would be based on eligibility and popularity.

If a party’s candidates were strong in 20 constituencies, it should be given all 20, he said. Similarly, if a party was strong in 80 constituencies, that too should be considered, he added.

On the other hand, a central Jamaat leader said Islami Andolan was demanding 70 to 75 seats, which he described as unrealistic. He suggested that the role of a third party instigating the dispute should also be considered here.

He said conspiracies had been hatched in past elections and that similar efforts were underway ahead of the upcoming polls as well. Those who do not want to see Islamic parties united on one platform were behind such manoeuvres, he claimed.

A leader of Islami Andolan who attended the eight-party meeting told Prothom Alo that everyone agreed Islamic unity would be affected if a seat-sharing deal failed. Despite some unease, he said, the situation was gradually returning to normal.

Party sources report that the issue of seat-sharing was discussed at a meeting of Jamaat’s central executive council yesterday, Monday. Jamaat assistant secretary general Hamidur Rahman Azad told Prothom Alo that there was still time until the deadline for nomination withdrawal and that efforts were underway to finalise the agreement before then.

Asked whether the negotiations would ultimately succeed, Islami Andolan ameer Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim told Prothom Alo on Sunday that it depended on circumstances.

Islami Andolan would agree in the interests of Islam, the country and humanity, he said, but if these three were compromised, the matter would be reconsidered.

The LDP has shown little reaction to the seat-sharing issue. However, some uncertainty has emerged within the NCP over the number of seats, while the AB Party says the seat-sharing arrangement still remains unclear.

Political sources say that the NCP and AB Party initially demanded 50 seats each in the negotiations. Jamaat later held separate talks with the NCP and persuaded it to agree to 30 seats, assuring the party that Jamaat would not field candidates in those constituencies. However, the specific 30 seats involved in the understanding have not yet been officially announced.

According to NCP sources, in most of the 30 constituencies mentioned, Jamaat candidates have submitted nomination papers already. As a result, the NCP also fielded candidates in 44 constituencies at the last moment.

A central NCP leader, speaking anonymously to Prothom Alo, said Jamaat had assured them of 30 seats, but indications were now coming that this number might be reduced even further for NCP. However, the NCP wants to ensure that the figure does not fall below 30 and is therefore pressing Jamaat for 40 seats.

Meanwhile, Jamaat is seeking understanding with the AB Party over three constituencies, though the AB Party has submitted nomination papers in 53 seats.

AB Party chairman Mujibur Rahman Monju told Prothom Alo that no formal meeting had yet been held between the AB Party and the eight-party alliance. Only separate meetings with Jamaat leaders had taken place involving the AB Party and the NCP.

The alliance’s name, political objectives, number of seats, and seat-sharing arrangements are yet to be finalised, he said, adding that negotiations are still ongoing.