Awami League partners get seats, allies get assurance

Ruling Awami League has almost finalised its seat sharing with its partners and allies. Partners of the 14-party alliance have been given seven seats. Awami League has no intention of giving them any more seats.

Outside of that, leaders of the so-called “king’s parties” –Supreme Party, Trinomool BNP, BNM, and the party leaving the BNP alliance – Kalyan Party, have been given assurance of victory in the election. But the Awami League candidates in these seats have no intention of giving up their candidacy in these seats.

Sources of Awami League, partners and allies said that the 14-party leaders who have been given seven seats in the sharing process, will contest with the ‘boat’ symbol.

Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon would be given the Barishal-3 seat, according to Awami League. Menon was not comfortable about competing from here. Later, on Friday, he was given the Barishal-2 seat instead.  

On Friday night the Jatiya Party reached an understanding for 26 seats with the ruling party. Awami League intends to keep the matter of seat sharing with other allies completely informal. The alliances have been given assurances about the seats.

Awami League sources say a total of 40 seats of the total 300 may be left for the partners and allies, formally and informally. Outside of JaPa and the 14 Party, assurance has been given to Kalyan Party’s General Muhammad Ibrahim that he will win in the Cox’s Bazar seat. BNM’s Shah Abu Zafar is being assured of a win in Faridpur. Trinomool BNP’s Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury is contesting from Sylhet and Taimur Alam Khandakar from Narayanganj. They have been given assurances too.

There has been no understanding reached with former president AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury’s party Bikalpadhara. The nomination papers of the party secretary general MA Mannan have been cancelled. B Chowdhury’s son Mahi B Chowdhury is contesting from the Munishiganj-1 seat.

Sources say that Awami League candidates will be removed from the seats where 14 party and JaPa have been given a share of the seats. However, Awami League has not agreed to ask the independent candidates to stand down. JaPa will contest under the ‘plough’ symbol. There will be no Awami League candidates in those seats. Several leaders of Awami League have said until the day before the election there is scope to take measures regarding the Awami League party candidates and the independent candidates in keeping with the situation.

In the meantime, there is no possibility of any understanding whatsoever with the pro-Islamic parties. Awami League is in contact with some of these parties, but have not given assurance of their winning any seats. They have been told to await Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s consideration.

Among the 14 Party alliance partners, Workers Party and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASOD) have been given a share of three seats each. Jatiya Party (JP) has been given a single seat. These partners are not happy with this seat sharing. They say that there should be no independent Awami League candidates contesting in their constituencies.

Awami League has independent candidates in all seven of the seats shared with the partners. Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon’s Barishal-3 seat has been given to Jatiya Party while Menon has been given Barishal-2. Awami League’s Talukdar Yunus is the independent candidate there.

Hasanul Huq Inu is unhappy with the independent candidate in his Kushtia-2 constituency. He is desperately trying to remove the independent candidate, He has sought an appointment with the prime minister for the purpose but hasn’t been given any time as yet.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Hasanul Huq Inu has said that he has made his dissatisfaction known. He said, seats must be increased and the independent candidates must be removed. He will talk to the prime minister about the matter.

Awami League sources, however, say that the three parties who have been given a share of the seats, are mainly concerned about the Awami League independent candidates. The demand for more seats may just be a matter of putting on political pressure.

Meanwhile, on Friday speculations ran rife on the seat of Tarikat Federation chairman Najibul Bashar Maizbhandari. However, the matter is completely in the hands of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Till late Friday night, now decision had been taken, Awami League sources confirmed. The prime minister, though, has displayed interest to giving the seat to Supreme Party's Syed Saifuddin Maizbhandari.

Speaking at a press briefing in Dhanmondi on Friday, Najibul Bashar Maizbhandari said, "The names of the alliance partners have been announced in seven seats. That is not final. We know we are in too."

Coordinator of the 14 Party Amir Hossain Amu, speaking to Prothom Alo, said, there is no discussion outside of the seven seats left for the partners. The prime minister will take the decision about the Tarikat Federation seat. There has been no decision to remove independent candidates.

Assurances behind the scenes for king's parties

So far 28 political parties are contending in this election. Almost all of them directly want an understanding with Awami League for seat sharing. However, in recent times the recently registered Trinomool BNP and BNM have generated more interested. Then there is also Kalyan Party and BNF.

Awami League sources say that Trinomool BNP and BNM have failed to create that much of an impact in the election as expected after breaking away from BNP. That is why the seat sharing understanding had to be done with JaPa and Awami League has also kept independent candidates in these seats. Awami League is not very interested in relinquishing any seats to these two parties. However, these parties have entered the fray on assurances from Awami League so there will be an effort to get a known face to win. But Awami League will not enter into any formal understanding to remove the party candidate in those seats.

Awami League party candidate for Cox's Bazar-1, Salahuddin Ahmed, has been cancelled and was not reinstated after the appeal hearing on Friday. This has made things easier for Kalyan Party's Syed Muhammad Ibrahim in this seat. Former member of parliament from this seat, Awami League's Zafar Alam, is contesting an as independent candidate here. However, sources say that local and central Awami League will work in Ibrahim's favour.

Awami League presidium member Abdur Rahman is the party candidate for Faridpur 1. The party has an independent candidate here too. Shah Mohammad Abu Zafar, who left BNP to join BNP, is contesting from this seat. Awami League sources say the ruling party will be backing him. He reportedly has been given assurance that some of his activists will be released and the police will not harass his activists.

Shah Abu Zafar, speaking to Prothom Alo, said that he wants a fair election. He asked for a guarantee that his party workers would not be harassed. He said his demand is being fulfilled.