Distrust, blame game emerge in 14-party alliance after election

Frustration in the Awami League-led 14-party alliance has surfaced after the 12th national parliament election as small partners of the alliance blame Bangladesh Workers Party and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASAD) for deprivation during the negotiation of seat-sharing with Awami League.

Bangladesh Workers Party and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASAD), however, blame Awami League after winning only two seats in the election held on 7 January.

Although this blame game prevails in the alliance, the parties in the alliance have no intention to sever ties with Awami League.

They think Awami League won’t value them unless it falls under any pressure. On the other hand, they don’t consider infuriating Awami League as a good option in the current circumstance. That’s why the alliance partners rather took the strategy of biding their time.

Meanwhile, Awami League sources said the partners of the 14-party alliance got more than their organizational strength in three successive elections in 2008, 2014 and 2018. As a result, these parties have become over reliant on Awami League. These parties should decrease their dependence on the ruling party.

Top leader of a party in the alliance told Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity that a sense of distrust has also grown in the alliance. Many candidates of his party participated in the election as part of Awami League’s wish to make the election look participatory. Awami League told these candidates that the party has provided funds to the candidates.

But the leader of the party said he did not get any such funds from Awami League. A distrust has grown among the candidates about the leadership of the party.

Among the 14-party alliance, Workers' Party got two seats, JASAD got three seats and Jatiya Party (JP) got one seat from the ruling Awami League. Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon and JASAD’s Rezaul Karim Tansen won by contesting the elections with Awami League’s boat symbol.

The other candidates of the alliance partners who competed with the boat symbol lost to Awami League’s independent candidates. The defeated 14-party leaders include JASAD president Hasanul Haque Inu, JP president Anwar Hossain Manju, Workers Party's Fazle Hossain Badsha and Mustafa Lutfullah, JASAD’s Mosharraf Hossain. Awami League did not leave the seat for JASAD’s general secretary Shirin Akhtar. As a result, she did not participate in the election.

Fazle Hossain Badsha said his and Inu’s defeat has somewhat dampened the joy of victory of Menon. His party would soon hold a meeting on the election. The party then held discussions with other alliance partners too.

Sources at the alliance said that JP has some anger towards Awami League due to the defeat of Anwar Hossain Manju. Workers' Party and JASAD are the most exasperated by the results of the polls. There is even internal discontent within the two parties, which is likely to increase after the election of reserved seats for women. Both the Workers Party and JASAD will try to get MPs in reserved seats for women.

Along with three elected MPs, Rashed Khan Menon’s wife Lutfun Nesa Khan became an MP for the reserved women's seat in the eleventh parliamentary election. JASAD also had three elected MPs and Inu's wife Afroza Haque as MP for the reserved seat.

Awami League sources say that none of the two parties are supposed to get the reserved women's seats this time. Because, one reserved women seat is allocated against every six elected MPs. The two parties were elected in only two constituencies.

As a result, these parties were to be given MPs in reserved women seats from the quota of Awami League or independent. It is not yet clear how many reserved seats can be given to these parties. Awami League gave some kind of assurance to JASAD to make its general secretary Shirin Akhtar an MP from reserved seat. As a result, Afroza Haque might get left out. Rashed Khan Menon’s wife Lutfun Nesa might also get left out.

A top leader of a 14-party component told Prothom Alo that the election of reserved seats for women might create fresh complications in the alliance and inside the parties.

JASAD president Hasanul Haque Inu said the election issue would first be discussed inside the party and then the overall situation would be discussed in the 14-party alliance.

Bangladesh Samyabadi Dal, Ganatantri Party, Tariqat Federation, Gano Azadi League, BASAD, NAP and Communist Kendra are the other parties that are active in the 14-party alliance.

Except for the Tariqat Federation, Awami League never shared electoral seats with the other parties.

Samyabadi Dal’s general secretary Dilip Barua was made a technocrat minister during Awami League government in 2009. No other parties were given nominations in any seat.

Awami League did not leave the seat of Tariqat Federation’s chairman Najibul Bashar Maizbhandari this time. Najibul Bashar, who was elected MP for three consecutive terms, participated in the election from his own party but left the race at the eleventh hour. Dilip Barua requested to get nomination for one last time, to no avail.

A leader of an alliance partner said Awami League solely controls the 14-party alliance. Workers Party and JASAD are on the top among the beneficiaries of the alliance. These two parties remain silent when provided benefits and become vocal when not.

Sources said partners of the alliance took an initiative to hold a meeting among themselves before the election to be in advantage point in seat sharing negotiation. But the meeting was suspended at the last moment mainly due to the reluctance of the Workers Party and JASAD.

On the overall situation, Samyabadi Dal’s general secretary Dilip Barua said Awami League has not valued the alliance properly this time. But the Awami League will have to understand that the 14-party alliance still has relevance.