All efforts of the Awami League to convince smaller political parties to participate in the upcoming election have failed as the ruling leadership could not woo them to leave the opposition alliance.
Even some of the Awami League allies in the alliance also stayed away from the polls procedure, embarrassing the ruling party who are determined to hold the 10th general elections.
Awami League leaders admit it could not woo the smaller parties now in the fold of opposition alliance, such as Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) and the Liberal Democratic Party, even after offering ministerial posts in the interim government.
A number of ministers have also claimed on different occasions that many BNP leaders would participate in the polls, but none from the opposition alliance have joined the election race.
“What else can we do if anyone announces to boycott the polls?” Suranjit Sengupta, a member of the Awami League’s advisory council, told the Dhaka Tribune on Tuesday.
Suranjit refused to call the polls without the BNP and other parties a one-sided election. “More than 1,000 candidates are contesting the polls in 300 seats. So, why will it be a one-sided polls?” he said.
The main opposition BNP, which in 1996 held an election boycotted by all the parties, including its staunchest ally Jamaat-e-Islami which sided with the Awami League, alleges that the upcoming 10th parliamentary elections will be one-sided.
A total of 1,107 candidates from at least 14 out of 41 registered political parties, including the Awami League, Jatiya Party and the newly formed Bangladesh Nationalist Front, have submitted their nominations.
The last parliamentary polls in 2008 had 1,567 candidates from 38 political parties while 1,450 competed in the controversial February 15 polls of 1996.
Andaleeve Rahman Partha, chairman of Bangladesh Jatiya Party, said the ruling Awami League’s bankruptcy was projected before the nation as all parties, even a number of Awami League’s alliance partners, had boycotted the polls.
“The government tried to split the 18-party alliance but failed because they failed to understand the public pulse. Now Awami League’s own existence is threatened,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.
Interestingly, among the 11 registered religion-based political parties only two are contesting the polls Tarikat Federation and Bangladesh Islamic Front, which have close tie with the ruling party. Jaker Party and Islamic Front Bangladesh have stayed away.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Oikya Jote, Jamiyat Ulamaya Islam and Khelafat Majlish all allies of the BNP have boycotted the polls.
Other religion based parties Islami Andolon Bangladesh, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon, and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish are also boycotting the next election.
Misbahur Rahman Chowdhury, chairman of Bangladesh Islami Oikya Jote, told the Dhaka Tribune that are boycotting the polls as the BNP are not participate in the polls. “If all parties take part in the elections, we will extend our support to the Awami League but as it is going to be lopsided, we will boycott the polls and instructed our leaders and activists not to go to polling centres on voting day,” he said.
The ruling party also tried to bring Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Gonoforum, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rob) and Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Janata League into the elections.
When contacted, Communist Party Bangladesh President Mujahidul Islam Selim said they had told the ruling Awami League that they would not participate in any election if all political parties did not take part.