The Awami League’s aim to ensure a competitive and participatory election is creating tension among its candidates as the ruling party may award some seats to its alliance members.
While the deadline for the withdrawal of nomination papers is fixed for December 17, the Awami League top brass will finalise its party candidates at the last moment. The ruling party earlier declared candidates for 298 seats.
Several political parties participating in the election are communicating with the top leaders of the Awami League to negotiate their candidate lists. Some of them are seeking the ruling party’s electoral symbol, while others want to contest the polls with their own symbol and with the blessings of the ruling party.
On the other hand, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said on Sunday that the party will not expel anyone who submitted nomination papers as independent candidates. This decision has been taken to ensure high voter turnout and to make the polls more competitive.
A senior leader of the Awami League who is close to Party President Sheikh Hasina told this correspondent on Sunday that, on the last day of the nomination paper submission, the party chief will send a letter to the Election Commission with the final list.
After December 17, if anyone wants to boycott the polls, he or she needs to declare it publicly through a press conference, as the list of Awami League candidates will be finalised on that day.
Giving room to heavyweights
Awami League leaders said that apart from the 14-party alliance members, other political parties are demanding some constituencies. Their demand may also be considered to make the election more participatory.
The ruling party has initially decided to give some seats to the Jatiya Party (JaPa-Ershad), Trinamool BNP, Bangladesh Nationalist Movement (BNM), Kalyan Party, Islami Oikya Jote, and some other Islamist parties.
However, it is not known how the ruling party will adjust this disbursement.
There are five former MPs on the list of candidates declared by Trinamool BNP, including its Chairman Shamsher Mubin Chowdhury and General Secretary Taimur Alam Khondoker.
There is speculation that the Awami League-nominated candidate Nurul Islam Nahid may be withdrawn from Sylhet-6 to support Shamsher Mubin Chowdhury.
Apart from this, there is discussion that the party candidate for Narayanganj-1, Golam Dastagir Gazi, can be sacrificed for Taimur Alam Khondoker.
Rashed Khan Menon, president of the Workers Party, is currently the Member of Parliament from the Dhaka-8 constituency. This time, the Awami League has nominated AFM Bahauddin Nashim, joint general secretary of the party, while Menon submitted nomination papers for Barisal-2 and Barisal-3 constituencies.
Sources said the Awami League may change its Barisal-2 candidate to finally support Menon.
Talking to Dhaka Tribune, Awami League leader Amir Hossain Amu, the coordinator of the 14-party alliance, said the ruling party will participate in the election with its alliance members and the seat negotiation will be declared within due time.
Several sources said Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will sit with 14-party leaders at her residence to discuss the recent issues this evening.
Though JaPa’s Chief Patron and Opposition Leader in Parliament Roushan Ershad has decided not to contest the polls this time, the party is preparing for the polls under the leadership of its chairman, GM Quader.
The Awami League is doubtful whether JaPa will finally participate in the election or not. The negotiation of seats with JaPa also depends on its decision.
Talking to this reporter, a member of the cabinet in the 11th parliament who was elected several times said anonymously that anything can happen this time. “Any candidate can be dropped from the final list, even me.”