The bulk of Bangladesh’s main opposition parties have struck an agreement which could see them present a united front in trying to block the ruling Awami League from regaining power in the upcoming general election.
At a rally organized by the new alliance Jatiya Oikya Prokriya in Dhaka on Saturday, almost all of the opposition parties came together on a single platform under the leadership of the Juktofront and the Gono Forum.
The presence of top BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and two other Standing Committee members gave analysts a clear indication that the main opposition party is also poised to go into the polls with the new alliance, which formally comprises five parties.
“The process to forge a larger national unity has progressed further with Saturday’s rally,” Fakhrul said.
It was highly possible that BNP would form a broader alliance to compel the incumbent government to hold the election under a non-partisan interim administration.
However, the new alliance presented in Dhaka on Saturday shares the same goal.
“There is a need for unity to bring stability in country’s prevailing political situation,” the platform’s leader, the eminent jurist and Gana Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain, told the Dhaka Tribune.
“In this case, this unity is taking initiatives to fulfill the citizens demand. Let us now bring the main focus back to the healthy situation and ensure the voting rights of the people.”
Crucially, Dr Hossain said that they will take part in the election contesting for all 300 parliamentary seats if they get BNP to join the alliance.
“We must take part in the election by targeting the seats, but at the moment, we will be working to bring back normalcy to the country’s politics.”
In addition to BNP, eight other components of the BNP-led 20 party alliance, and Gonosonghoti Andolan, shared the stage on Saturday.
Of the major opposition parties, only the Jatiya Party of former military autocrat HM Ershad and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami were not represented.
Jatiya Party is now the parliamentary opposition and took part in the 2008 election under the Awami League-led 14-party grand alliance, securing 30 seats.
Jamaat-e-Islami is a component of the BNP-led 20-party alliance but was also absent from the event since Jatiya Oikya Prokriya has always been against any party that directly or indirectly opposed the Liberation War of Bangladesh.
Six demands
The national alliance aims to establish effective democracy and ensure the rule of law and citizen voting rights.
Its six demands for the election - which is expected by the end of December - are similar to those laid down by the BNP.
The alliance wants parliament to be dissolved ahead of the announcement of national polls, an impartial government formed for during the polls, and the reconstitution of the Election Commission with members accepted by all political parties.
It also urging for the army to be deployed during the election, for the planned use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to be cancelled, and for the withdrawal of all false cases lodged against political activists.
“The national unity has been constituted to compete against the ruling party to realize the public’s demand through a strong political alliance,” Krishok Sramik Janata League (KSJL) Chairman Abdul Kader Siddique said.
Public health activist and pro-BNP intellectual Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury said a powerful national unity was required to compete with the ruling government.
“If all the opposition parties work together, the alliance is going to do something new to ensure the voter rights of the people,” he said.
“It is not a matter which party is old or which one is new. What matters is that all parties are now together.”
BNP welcomed
Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury said the new platform would be all the stronger for the involvement of the main opposition party.
“If the BNP is involved in this alliance, then the strong leadership of the people involved, and the huge support of these parties, together will be able to fight next in the coming election as the major opposition,” he said.
Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) Secretary Badiul Alam Majumder said a broader unity is a good initiative in the political space.
“If they can bring other parties in the unity and go for next parliamentary polls with BNP, it will be a huge achievement,” he said.
“They will have leadership and widespread support, and the national unity can contest against the ruling party. If a fair election can be held under a neutral administration, many changes can happen.”
Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna said they will take part in the election with the BNP, citing the party’s “huge support from the public”.
“(However), ensuring a healthy political atmosphere is our first priority,” he said.
PM endorsement
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina welcomed the move to form an alliance, saying it would “give the anti-Awami League people a new platform to stand on”.
“I welcome their alliance; let unity prevail,” she said.
“There are two parties in Bangladesh: Awami League and anti-Awami League. The anti-Awami League people will have to go somewhere. This will be a great relief (for them).”
Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League chief, hoped the new alliance would participate in the upcoming election.
