10-party alliance to finalise candidates for 47 remaining seats within days: Jamaat leader

Bangla Press Desk:   The Jamaat-e-Islami–led 10-party alliance is set to finalise nominations for the remaining 47 parliamentary constituencies within the next couple of days, following the withdrawal of Islami Andolan from the electoral alliance.

Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair disclosed the information on Sunday, saying the alliance would soon decide how to distribute the vacant seats and is also considering issuing a joint election manifesto of the 10 parties.

He said the 47 seats had earlier been kept vacant for Islami Andolan, which ultimately chose not to join the alliance.

With its departure, other parties within the alliance, including Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP), are now seeking a share of those seats, prompting fresh discussions among alliance partners.

Zubair said the alliance’s liaison committee has been tasked with taking decisions regarding the remaining seats.

Following meetings of the liaison committee, the top leadership of the alliance parties will take a final decision on the allocation, he added.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday afternoon (17 Jan), Zubair said deliberations were underway and a decision would be reached shortly.

A senior alliance leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Jamaat is likely to field candidates in 35 to 40 of the remaining 47 constituencies, bringing the party’s total number of seats to around 200 to 210.

The number of seats allocated to the National Citizen Party is also expected to increase.

Under earlier considerations for a broader 11-party alliance, the NCP had been allocated 30 seats.

That number could now rise to around 35 seats, the leader said.

Other alliance partners, including Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan and AB Party, are also expected to receive additional constituencies.

Earlier on Thursday night (15 Jan), the 10-party electoral alliance announced that it had reached an understanding on 253 constituencies.

According to the agreement announced at that time, Jamaat was allocated 179 seats, the NCP 30 seats, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish 20 seats, Khelafat Majlish 10 seats, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) seven seats, AB Party three seats, and two seats each for BDP and the Bangladesh Nezam-e-Islami Party.

The remaining two parties in the alliance—Jagpa and Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan—will not field candidates in any constituencies but will remain partners in the electoral alliance, with assurances of post-election evaluation, sources said.

BP/TD