Leaders of several Islamist political parties and platforms will seek nomination from the 18-party opposition alliance in the upcoming parliamentary polls, and if they fail to get it, they will contest individually.
They have already selected names of some leaders and decided on which constituencies they will contest as they are confident to win the polls because of the Awami League-led government’s downward popularity.
In this context, they point at the results of five city corporation elections where the ruling party-backed candidates faced defeats. Activists of the Islamists parties and organisations, mainly Hefazat, campaigned jointly in those polls against the Awami League-supported candidates.
In their campaigns for the parliamentary polls, the Islamist parties are now trying to draw sympathy of the voters using posters, leaflets and documentaries on the government’s failures, especially, the law enforcers’ crackdown on Hefazat-e-Islam’s Dhaka-seize program on May 5 and 6.
Opposition ally Jamaat-e-Islami too is campaigning for the polls using the Hefazat issue and other issues that may disrepute the government.
All the top leaders of Hefazat, except for its chief Shah Ahmad Shafi, are involved in different Islamist parties of the opposition alliance.
Leaders of several Islamist parties and platforms – Hefazat, Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ), Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam, Nezam-e-Islami Bangladesh and Khelafat-e-Islami Bangladesh – have been campaigning across the country.
Among them, key components of the BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance – IOJ, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish and Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam – are demanding a non-partisan interim government to oversee the polls.
Hefazat, which is a platform of Islamist parties and organisations, has prepared a list of its 22 leaders who want to contest the polls from the opposition alliance.
Hefazat Secretary General Junaid Babunagari, who is also the vice-chairman of IOJ, is likely to contest from Chittagong 8 (Fatikchharhi) constituency while its central leader Maulana Mainuddin Ruhi from Chittagong 10 (Hathazari).
The IOJ, another platform led by Abdul Latif Nezami, has also finalised its candidates for the elections. Nezami is also the chairman of Nezam-e-Islami Bangladesh. He is likely to participate in the polls from Narsingdi 2 while IOJ Secretary General Mufti Fayez Ullah from Chittagong 3 (Rangunia).
Chief of Khelafat-e-Islami Bangladesh Abul Hasnat Amini, who is also the son of IOJ leader late Mufti Fazlul Haq Amini, will contest from Brahmanbaria 2 seat.
The Islamist leaders claim that the anti-government campaigns have been conducted to make sure that their candidates win the polls. They say it is possible since the people are enraged against the government.
They have been conducting door to door campaigns and focusing on the negative aspects of the cur-rent government, especially the law enforcers’ action on opposition leaders and involvement of the Awami League leaders in crimes and corruption. The campaigns are also conducted at mosques and madrasas.
Hefazat’s advisor Muhammad Zafrullah Khan, also the secretary general of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We hope that the election will be held in time. We are ready to take part.”
IOJ’s Mufti Fayez Ullah told the Dhaka Tribune: “We are always ready to contest the polls. But in the same vein, I would like to reiterate our demand to install non-party caretaker government system without which we will not take part in any polls.”
He claimed that now the country’s 90% people were against the ruling alliance for its anti-Hefazat ac-tivities and backing the atheists.
He also said: “The May 5 genocide at the Hefazat programme left a deep impression on the people’s mind. We are all Muslims, so it is my duty to inform the people what the Awami League-led atheist government did to the innocent Alems [Islamic scholars].”
According to senior IOJ leaders, they have produced a number of documentaries highlighting the current government’s failures, Hefazat crackdown and other activities that might give the people negative impression about the Awami League.
The campaigners are using mobile phones to show the videos of May 5 rally and photos that show police charging batons and throwing teargas shells on Hefazat supporters. They are trying to establish that the ballot is the best way to give a reply to the “genocide.”