Seat-sharing rift puts Islamist bloc’s ‘one box’ policy in doubt

The ambitious "one box" policy of the Islamist alliance ahead of the upcoming national election—aimed at consolidating Islamist votes behind single, jointly backed candidates—has plunged into uncertainty amid a deepening seat-sharing rift within the bloc.

Internal tensions, particularly between Jamaat-e-Islami and several of its key partners, have eroded trust within the alliance, with multiple parties now preparing to contest seats independently, effectively undermining the bloc's unified electoral strategy.

Islamist alliance in turmoil over seat-sharing

Senior leaders of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis (BKM) have voiced strong dissatisfaction, accusing Jamaat-e-Islami of what they described as a "strategic betrayal." While there was an understanding that BKM would be allocated 13 seats, Jamaat was found to have fielded its own candidates in at least six of those constituencies, alleged BKM leaders.  

For instance, Shariatpur-1 was promised to BKM secretary general Jalaluddin Ahmed, but a Jamaat-backed candidate, Md Mosharof Hossain, also submitted nomination papers for the same constituency.

The allocation of Moulvibazar-4 to NCP candidate Pritam Das has drawn sharp criticism from BKM leaders, who accuse him of "defaming religion" and have filed a case against him for this. It is impossible for Islamist activists to campaign for him, they said.

Tensions have also surfaced in Narayanganj-4, where BKM has fielded Anwar Hossain – citing his strong links with the local Tabligh Jamaat community – defying Jamaat's decision to cede the seat to NCP leader Abdullah Al Amin.

Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) faced a similar situation in Barishal-5, where Jamaat nominee Muazzam Hossain Helal submitted nomination papers despite the seat reportedly being  earmarked for IAB's senior nayeb-e-ameer Mufti Syed Md Faizul Karim.

IAB spokesperson Sheikh Fazlul Karim Maruf told The Business Standard that Jamaat's decision had caused widespread frustration among party rank and file.

A senior BKM leader told TBS on condition of anonymity that if the party is not allocated what it considers a fair share – between 30 to 35 seats  – it will contest the election with their "rickshaw" symbol regardless of the bloc's decision. 

 "We have already instructed our candidates to remain in the race. We cannot abandon our strongholds based on unilateral decisions taken by a single party," the leader added.

The rift has effectively stalled the alliance's coordination mechanism. Although the bloc was conceived as a unified 11-party platform, senior leaders say joint meetings among core partners have not taken place in recent weeks.

Instead, Jamaat is reportedly holding separate bilateral discussions with individual parties—an approach analysts view as a sign of growing fragmentation within the Islamist electoral front.

The rift has effectively stalled the alliance's coordination mechanism. Although the bloc was conceived as a unified 11-party platform, senior leaders say joint meetings among core partners have not taken place in recent weeks.

According to Election Commission data, a total of 849 nomination papers were submitted by the 11-party alliance—nearly three times the 300-seat capacity of parliament. Jamaat-e-Islami submitted 276 nominations, IAB 268, BKM 94, Khelafat Majlis 68, AB Party 53, National Citizen Party 44, Liberal Democratic Party 24, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon 11, Nizam-e-Islam Party six, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party three, and Bangladesh Development Party two.

A day after nominations were submitted, Islami Andolan's senior Nayeb-e-ameer Mufti Syed Md Faizul Karim publicly expressed dissatisfaction, claiming that his party has strong organisational position in 143 constituencies, yet seat-sharing negotiations did not reflect that reality.

He also questioned why Islami Andolan should seek seats from Jamaat, when the "one box" policy was originally proposed by his party.

Meanwhile, Khelafat Majlis joint secretary Abdul Jalil told TBS that bilateral and trilateral discussions on seat-sharing are currently underway and that a final decision could emerge within the next two to three days. Jamaat leaders have previously said the process remains a "work in progress."

The outcome of these talks is likely to determine whether the Islamist bloc enters the election as a unified force—or fragments into competing camps.