A political drama full of uncertainty and confusion came to an end as four prominent leaders from minor political parties formed “Juktofront” [United Front] earlier this month. However, the alliance leaders are yet to make any decision regarding their future plans with the newly formed political coalition.
On December 5, Bikalpadhara, Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Janata League (KSJL), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) and Nagorik Oikya formed Juktofront, with former president and Bikalpadhara Bangladesh Chief AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury as its chairman.
Weeks have passed after the leaders took the decision to form the coalition, but until the filing of this report, Juktofront did not announce further details about the coalition, their political plans and policy positions.
Meanwhile, there are rumours in the country’s political arena that Juktofront will nominate a candidate for Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) election. There is also confusion regarding the party’s political allegiance.
The question political analysts are asking is, will this coalition join the Awami league-led 14-party alliance or the BNP-led 20-party alliance?
When approached for comments, several key leaders of Juktofront stated that no decision in this regard has been made as yet.
The Juktofront leaders believe that they can bring a positive change in the political arena of Bangladesh, and they claimed that they formed the alliance to work together with everyone for building a nation based on humanitarian values with the spirit of the Liberation War.
Alliance insiders claimed that the Juktofront has a plan to nominate 300 candidates in the next election.
Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune over phone, Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna confirmed that the alliance will participate in upcoming 11th parliamentary polls.
He claimed that Juktofront will definitely nominate candidates in all constituencies of the country as they have enough eligible candidates to do that.
Meanwhile, JSD General Secretary Abdul Malek Ratan said: “After hearing about Juktofront, hundreds of leaders across the country have contacted us, expressing their interest to work with the alliance to bring about a positive change in the country’s politics.”
A leader from the Juktofront, on condition of anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune that they are optimistic that the alliance will win at least four seats in the upcoming general election.
Addressing the issue, ex-vice president of Ducsu, Manna said: “The ruling party Awami League and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have to make sure that all parties can participate in the next election without any doubt.
“We want a participatory election where all parties will take part and the election also should be accepted by all quarters.”
He noted that it is the government’s duty to ensure a level playing field for all parties, but claimed he did not see any initiative by the government to bring all parties to the election.
Pointing to the prime minister’s speech on December 7, where she ruled out the possibility of any special initiative on her part to ensure BNP’s participation in the upcoming national election, Manna said: “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina did not express any interest to bring all parties to the next polls.”
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Meanwhile, JSD General Secretary Abdul Malek Ratan said that government has to ensure a level playing field before the next election.
“As a party, JSD believes that the election should be held under a neutral government, but as an alliance we have yet to make a decision regarding the issue.”
He also told the Dhaka Tribune over phone that as a party, JSD wants that army be deployed with magistracy power during the next polls.
On the other hand, other Juktofront leaders said that they still have not decided anything about forming election-time coalition with either the Awami league-led 14-party alliance or the BNP-led 20-party alliance.
Speaking on the matter, AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury said: “We did not make any decision over the DNCC election, participation in next national election or drafting a Juktofront election manifesto.”
Bongo Bir Kader Siddiqui told the Dhaka Tribune that the time to talk about the stance of Juktofront has not come yet as things are still being discussed at alliance level.
Meanwhile, Abdul Malek Ratan added that if they get any proposal from the other two alliances then they will take decision over the issue.
However, Manna both ruled out any possibility of making a coalition with Awami League-led 14-party alliance or BNP-led 20-party alliance, due to concerns that it will put the alliance’s own identity at risk.
Although the alliance leaders are optimistic about nominating candidates in national election, they are yet to take a decision regarding the city corporation polls, including the upcoming Dhaka North City Corporation election.
JSD General Secretary Abdul Malek Ratan said over the phone that they will meet after December 16 to discuss the issue of the DNCC election and will make a final decision at that meeting.
Manna also claimed that his party is working with some proposals, which will help people understand why this coalition is different than the existing political alliances.
The Juktofront Chief Badruddoza Chowdhury claimed that the coalition would be officially launched in the country’s political arena through a press conference within a very short period of time.
“By then, the coalition will finalise its organogram and activities,” he said.
Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, Mahmudur Rahman Manna said: “Our party is working to prepare the organogram of Juktofront. After completing the organogram, we will discuss the matter with other Juktofront leaders, but this will take time to finalise.”
After the meeting on December 5, Badruddoza Chowdhury told reporters that the alliance has been formed to re-establish democracy in Bangladesh, to ensure fair elections and to find solutions to various issues throughout the nation.
The four parties, along with Gano Forum, have long been working to form the new coalition outside of the country’s two existing major alliances – Awami League-led 14-party alliance and the BNP-led 20-party alliance – before the next general election.
In a surprise turn of events last month, Dr Kamal Hossain-led Gano Forum decided to opt out from the initiative and therefore is not a part of the new alliance.
The chief of the United Front also said that Gano Forum was not in the alliance due to its own organisational policies but the party will attend programmes on invitation.
According to sources, in the last five years, leaders of these parties held at least 10 meetings, but had failed to reach a consensus regarding the formation of the coalition and in selecting the person to lead it due to internal disagreements over leadership and ideological conflicts.
Insiders also said that the leaders were trying to form a coalition similar to the United Front, an alliance of political parties of erstwhile East Pakistan that contested and won Pakistan’s first provincial general election to the East Bengal Legislative Assembly in 1954.
Badruddoza Chowdhury had also proposed to name the alliance after the historic United Front coalition, which existed before the 1971 Liberation War, sources said.
One of the leaders had told the Dhaka Tribune that the coalition will have nine or ten major objectives, which would include building a poverty-free nation, holding a transparent and participatory election, eradicating terrorism from the country, decentralising the administration, ensuring the death penalty for raping children and life imprisonment for raping women.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
