Dissatisfaction over seat-sharing, Jamaat-led coalition faces uncertainty

Leaders and activists of Islami Andolon Bangladesh have expressed dissatisfaction over the seat-sharing arrangement within the 11-party alliance led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP). 

As a result, Islami Andolon has been unable to finalise an agreement despite holding several rounds of meetings both with alliance partners and internally. A similar situation prevails for Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, led by Maulana Mamunul Haque.

Alliance coordinator and Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad had called a press conference today (14 January) to announce the seat-sharing deal, but it was later postponed citing unavoidable reasons. Jamaat leaders later said the press conference was deferred at the request of Islami Andolon, a claim the party denied in a statement.

Discussions on seat-sharing among eight parties began on 8 December last year. On 28 December, NCP, LDP and AB Party joined the alliance. Subsequently, the parties submitted nominations independently in all 300 constituencies.

According to senior leaders of several parties, the initial principle of seat-sharing was based on popularity, but later some parties began bargaining over the number of seats. Islami Andolon reportedly demanded more than 70 seats, while Jamaat was willing to offer a maximum of 40–45. Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis sought 25 seats, but Jamaat was prepared to give no more than 15.

Seat-sharing with the remaining nine parties is almost final. Talks among the parties and alliance partners have been ongoing since Wednesday morning, with multiple high-level meetings scheduled into the night. An announcement may come on Thursday.

Alliance leaders allege that Jamaat took some unilateral decisions that were not well received by other parties. For example, Jamaat held separate meetings with NCP, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and AB Party to bring them into the seat-sharing arrangement, without informing the other partners beforehand.

The uncertainties over the alliance surfaced after Jamaat's Bogura-3 candidate Nur Mohammad posted on Facebook, writing, "Yes, this is the truth – the 11-party understanding is breaking down."

He said Islami Andolon had consulted its Majlis-e-Shura and parliamentary candidates the previous night, where a majority favoured contesting the election independently rather than remaining in the alliance. He added that while Islami Andolon was finally offered 45 seats, its current demand stands at around 65-70 seats, along with a clear declaration on the post-election government structure.

Meanwhile, Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman urged patience amid the crisis, calling for wisdom and restraint in a Facebook post.

Islami Andolon admits uncertainty

At a press conference today, Islami Andolon Bangladesh spokesperson Gazi Ataur Rahman said the party would not move away from its "one box" policy, though he admitted uncertainty over the ongoing alliance and seat-sharing talks persists.

Hinting that the alliance with Jamaat is not irreversible, Gazi Ataur Rahman said, "The 20th (20 January) is the last date for withdrawal of nomination papers. The election is on 12 February, right? So anything can happen up until 12 February."

Islami Andolon stands firm on 'one box' policy, says 11-party alliance talks still uncertain

He said a formal outline of how the party will participate in the election and implement this policy will be announced within the next one or two days. He also complained that no alliance partner had made concessions in Islami Andolon's key constituencies and alleged premature campaigning in the alliance's name was harming the negotiation environment.

Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair later said in a press briefing that the 11-party alliance remains intact and discussions are continuing in a cordial atmosphere. He expressed hope that the seat-sharing deal would be finalised within a few days.