Islami Andolan exits Jamaat alliance, to contest polls in 268 seats independently
Islami Andolan was astonished to hear Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman say if his party assumes power, it will govern according to existing laws and not Islamic law, says Gazi Ataur Rahman.
Highlights:
- Islami Andolan breaks with Jamaat-led party bloc, to go solo in 268 constituencies
- Party launches sharp criticism of Jamaat, says astonished by Shafiqur's statement
- Islami Andolan says it practises politics based on principles and ideology, cannot deceive activists for power
- There had been speculation about whether Islami Andolan would stay in Jamaat-led coalition
Coming out of the Jamaat-e-Islami led 11-party alliance, Islami Andolan Bangladesh today (16 January) announced that they would contest the upcoming national election with its own party symbol "hand fan", vowing to field 268 candidates out of the 300 seats in the country.
The party also strongly criticised its former ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, accusing it of moving away from Islamic values and caring more about gaining power than establishing shariah law.
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Speaking at a press briefing at the party headquarters in Puratan Paltan, Maulana Gazi Ataur Rahman, joint secretary general and spokesperson of Islami Andolan, clarified the party's stance following the fallout of the "One Box" policy – an initiative to unite all Islamic forces under a single electoral front.
Gazi Ataur also expressed disappointment at recent statements made by Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman, alleging that Jamaat has abandoned its core slogan of "Allah's law and rule by honest people" in a bid to appease secular and international forces.
"We observed with disbelief that the Jamaat ameer clearly stated they would govern the state according to prevailing laws if they came to power. He even reassured representatives of the Christian community that sharia law would not be established. If the primary Islamic force moves away from Islamic ideals for political gain, the dreams of millions of activists will remain unfulfilled," the Islami Andolan spokesperson said.
He further noted that while Islami Andolan considers politics a "sacred act of worship" (Ibadat), other parties seem to be treating it as a mere tool for power.
"We cannot deceive our activists. We cannot compromise on our ideology for the sake of an alliance that seeks power over principle," he cleared.
Expressing concerns over the transparency in the upcoming polls, he suspected that a "selection" might occur instead of a "competitive election".
Referring to a recent meeting between the Jamaat ameer and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, Gazi Ataur expressed doubt about secret understandings regarding a "national government" post-election.
We were astonished to hear Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman clearly state that if they come to power, they will govern the country according to existing laws
"When a secret understanding is reached with a rival party before the election, it raises the suspicion: will this be an election or a 'selection'? We do not want to be part of a 'staged' election or a division of seats. We want a truly competitive poll that reflects the people's will," he said.
Out of the 300 parliamentary seats, Islami Andolan initially submitted nominations for 270 but the number now stood at 268 after the appeal hearing at the Election Commission.
For the remaining 32 vacant seats, the party will extend support to other qualified candidates who align with their ideology.
"Our 268 candidates have been instructed to stay in the race. Not a single one will withdraw. We are hopeful that the people of Bangladesh, who seek a new political arrangement, will support us," Gazi Ataur said.
He also touched upon the seat-sharing discussions held under the banner of the 11-party alliance, saying the lack of mutual respect and ideological alignment made it impossible to maintain the unity.
"For an alliance to work, there must be mutual trust and faith. When the foundation of trust is broken, unity cannot survive. We are now focused on our own path to establish a welfare state based on Islamic ideals," he concluded.
Senior party leaders, including joint secretary general engineer Ashraful Alam and joint secretary general Fazlay Bari Masum, were present at the briefing.
50 seats now open at 10-party coalition
The sudden withdrawal of Islami Andolan has left the 50 seats open in the now 10-party coalition, prompting alliance members to push for larger allocations.
Mahabub Alam, joint chief coordinator of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and a member of the alliance's electoral media sub-committee, told TBS, "We expect the NCP's share to increase. Our seats could rise from 30 to 40."
Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish publicity secretary Hasan Junaid said his party intended to reclaim 12 additional seats that had been dropped during previous negotiations.
He explained that of the 20 seats currently allocated to them, three are "open" and contested by multiple partners – Faridpur-4, Kishoreganj-4 and one seat in Sunamganj.
"Under our internal understanding, two open seats are counted as one full seat. As such, we are counting 1.5 seats from the three open ones. To reach our target of 20, we need two more confirmed seats," he said, adding that discussions with Jamaat were ongoing.
AB Party Chairman Mujibur Rahman Manju said formal redistribution talks had not yet begun but noted that his party expected its tally to rise from three seats to eight.
Khelafat Majlish is also seeking a larger share, and party sources said they expected at least three more seats following the IAB's departure.
According to sources who attended the alliance meeting at the Jamaat office today, preliminary discussions have already started on dividing the 50 vacated seats.
