Amid concerns over the polls-time administration, e-voting and deploying troops, Islamist parties have rolled up their sleeves for the 11th Parliamentary Election.
Several of them have finalised an initial list of candidates as well as have launched campaign efforts in their strongholds across the country.
The Islami Andolon Bangladesh led by Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim, popularly known as the Chormonai Peer, is preparing to float candidates in all 300 seats after fetching a good response in the local government polls.
“We are preparing to contest in the election solo. The possible candidates have been finalised,” said its Secretary General Mawlan Yunus Ahmad.
He, however, said it’s imperative to dissolve the parliament before the polls as well as a national consensus on the election-time administration.
“These issues are the bottleneck for a free, fair and credible election. We believe the Islami Andolon will gain in the election if there’s no rigging, booth capture or ballot stuffing,” said Ahmad.
Islamist parties, Khelafat Majlish and Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam are in the BNP-led 20-party Alliance. The number of candidates they will float depends of negotiations within the coalition.
However, Jamiat has split in to two factions led by Nur Hossain Kashemi and Mufti Waqqas. Both factions are preparing for the polls.
“We have locked an initial list of candidate, but it all depends on talks with our allies in the coalition,” said Kashemi.
The Election Commission’s move to introduce electronic voting machines (EVMs) just two months before the polls will create controversies, according to him.
Parties like, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon and Bangladesh Khelafat Majslish (BKM) were not part of any political coalitions until Aug 11, when BKM announced it has joined the coalition led by HM Ershad’s Jatiya Party.
“Our alliance with Jatiya Party is only for the election. Our bid to to form a separate coalition of Islamist parties failed,” BKM Secretary General Mawlana Mahfuzul Haque told Bangla Tribune.
The Islami Oioikyo Jote, which has been an ally of the BNP for over 20 years, cut off the ties in 2017 in a bid to form an Islamists’ coalition, but failed.
It has now developed close ties with the ruling Awami League, according to sources.
“We will not contest the polls as a part of coalition. We are preparing to float candidates in almost 300 seats,” said its Chairman Abdul Latif Nezami before adding, “But then again, we will see whether the Islamist parties can form a coalition.”