Jatiya Party on Sunday said they would decide whether to contest the elections alone or as part of the Grand Alliance after considering the future political situation.
Secretary General Ruhul Amin Howlader said this after a delegation of the party, a key ally of the ruling alliance, held a meeting with the senior Awami League leaders for over an hour at Ganabhaban where they discussed the election time arrangement.
After the formal meeting, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad also had a one-to-one meeting for around an hour.
Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam told reporters that the Jatiya Party would participate in the next general elections under the banner of Awami League-led Grand Alliance if the BNP joined the polls, but would change decision in case of boycott by the main opposition.
Ashraf said the elections would be held in the first week of January while Hasina would head the all-party interim cabinet.
Sources said Awami League requested the Jatiya Party to join the election as part of the Grand Alliance, but Ershad disagreed with the proposal saying that his party was taking preparation for contesting the polls unilaterally.
Meeting insiders told the Dhaka Tribune that Jatiya Party endorsed the prime minister’s proposal for the all-party polls-time government. However, the party a day before said the proposal lacked clarity.
Hasina in her speech had said the elections would be held within 90 days after October 25.
After the meeting, Ruhul Amin told reporters: “We earlier announced to contest the polls alone. But the decision will be taken after observing the future political situation. We talked to the prime minister and she understood.”
Ashraf, also the LGRD minister, said Hasina would continue as prime minister until a newly-elected government assumed office in mid-January next year.
Responding to a query about dialogue with the BNP, Ashraf said possibility of a dialogue depended on opposition’s reaction. “If the BNP rejects the prime minister’s proposal, there will be no rationale of talks.”
BNP is likely to clear its position on the proposal of interim government floated by the prime minister on Friday. However, opposition chief Khaleda Zia on Sunday ruled out elections without a non-partisan caretaker government.
Senior Awami League leaders including Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Kazi Zafrullah, Mohammad Nasim, Obaidul Quader, and PM’s advisers HT Imam and Dr Alauddin Ahmed were present at the meeting. From the Jatiya Party, Kazi Jafar Ahmed, Kazi Firoz Rashid, GM Quader, Anisul Islam Mahmud, Ziauddin Bablu, Mujibul Haque and Secretary General Ruhul Amin took part in the meeting.