Due to lack of eligible candidates, AL did not give any seats to Islami Oikyajot and Bangladesh Islami Oikyajot. While Islami Oikyajot expected nomination in four seats, Bangladesh Islami Oikyajot did not demand any seat.
The four seats asked were: Norsingdi-3 for Islami Oiyajot chairman Moulana Abdul Latif, Chattogram-7 for Mufti Faizullah, Brahmanbaria-2 for Abul Hasnat Amini and Cumilla-1 for Moulana Altaf Hossain.
AL’s parliamentary nomination board member, Col (retd) Faruk Khan, told Bangla Tribune: “AL has in depth information about the condition of all her allies and certain parties were declined nomination for strategic reasons.”
Chairman of Islami Oikyajot, Moulana Abdul Latif Nizami, told Bangla Tribune: “after coming out of the 20 party alliance, Islami Oikyajot is trying to establish itself as an independent party; if we reach a compromise with AL about seats then we will remain with them or we will go to election separately.”
Col. Faruk Khan observed: “it’s natural that unless a compromise is reached over seats, a party will not stay but that is the decision of the party.”
Cumilla-1 is AL stronghold with current MP Subid Ali Buuiyan elected two times in a row. In Norsingdi-3, there are two strong AL candidates, one is current MP, Sirajul Islam Mollah and the other is former MP, Zahirul Huq Bhuiyan Mohon. In Brahmanbaria -2, Jatiya Party leader Ziaul Huq Mridha was elected in the last two elections. In Brahmanbaria-3 running MP, A R M Ubaidul Mutadir Chowdhury and in Chittagong-7 AL’s publicity secretary Hassan Mahmud have been given nomination.
Islami Oikyajot was with BNP led alliance for 17 years, severing ties in December 2016.